Leeds skipper Marco Wentzel eyes two Premiership wins

Wentzel is in his first season with Leeds

Leeds captain Marco Wentzel says he would give up Christmas for two wins over the festive period.

The Premiership's basement club go to Newcastle on Sunday, 27 December and then host second-bottom Bath on Saturday, 2 January.

"In the grand scheme of things these two matches are massive for is," Wentzel told BBC Radio Leeds.

"Christmas is great but you can cancel Christmas and give me two wins and I'd take that."

After just one league win all season the West Yorkshire side are three points adrift of closest rivals Bath and 11 behind seventh-placed Newcastle.

Lock Wentzel added: "Because of where Newcastle and Bath are it's two games we are certainly targeting. We've been close in recent matches, but not close enough, we need to start winning.

"Now we are coming into the new year and are still bottom of the table things have become very serious and we know we have to really start performing and getting results now rather than when it's too late at the end of the season.

"We want to succeed, we don't want to go down, we want Leeds in the Premiership, so these two games are very important for us."

Leeds hope to have fly-half Ceiron Thomas and full-back Leigh Hinton available for the trip to Kingston Park. They both suffered rib injuries in the Challenge Cup win over Bucuresti Oaks.

But the news is not so good for winger Richard Welding and centre Scott Barrow. Welding hurt his ankle against Bucuresti, while Barrow has yet to return to full fitness after damaging knee ligaments in the loss to Harlequins at the start of the month.

Director of rugby Andy Key told BBC Radio Leeds: "Welders [Welding] has taken a big knock on his ankle and we are waiting for him to have a scan on it.

"To be honest he is struggling to walk on it at the moment and the medical team is working all hours it can to get him ready for the game, but it's unlikely he'll make it.

"Scott is coming on really well, but whether he will be ready for the weekend is touch and go and again it's more likely to be a no.

"But where he has got to with that injury is fantastic and we are very hopeful on that injury over the next few weeks."

Leeds will also have new hooker signing Andy Titterrell available to make his debut as he was not registered to play in Europe, while winger Henry Fa'afili is also back after serving a three-week ban.