Sven Goran Eriksson will no doubt be tuning into this televised clash, so it is another chance for two England hopefuls to press their claims for a place in this summer's World Cup squad.
Bowyer would surely have already played during Eriksson's tenure if it had not been for his well-documented trial, but now that he is free from that particular restriction, he will be keen to keep up his form so that he is in the England coach's thoughts for the next international against Holland in February.
Cole will also be keen to push his own case after dropping down to the Under-21s for most of the Swede's reign.
Both players have been in excellent form recently, with Cole holding his own against Liverpool and Arsenal's cosmopolitan midfields in recent weeks and Bowyer scoring in two of his last three outings. The Hammer has yet to score this season, while Bowyer has bagged three in total.
Cole is the Hammers playmaker and his passing statistics are very impressive. He has connected with 78% of his distribution and set up two goals for his team-mates. Bowyer hasn't been able to find his colleagues with as much accuracy - just 65% have found a fellow Leeds player - but his forward foraging has seen him lay on three goals for his team.
Both players have reasonable disciplinary records. Cole has been booked just three times, usually for over-exuberant tackles rather than anything malicious, while Bowyer has also received three yellows, although two cam in the victory against Arsenal at Highbury which saw him dismissed and potentially facing an FA disciplinary charge.
The Hammers have begun to string some good performances and results together in recent weeks, including taking points off Leeds's title rivals Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal. So, they will have no fear of going to Elland Road, especially after earning a 0-0 draw at the start of the campaign when they were not in good form.
Rob Bateman