Confirmed Leeds United XI to face Blackburn at Elland Road, four changes as £10m man and Ethan Ampadu out

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Leeds United return to the Elland Road pitch for the first time since the win over Oxford United this afternoon to take on John Eustace’s Blackburn Rovers, and revenge may be on the mind.

The Whites come into the game after three wins in a row, beating Oxford at Elland Road before Christmas and then Stoke City and Derby County away from home. Three games, nine points, three clean sheets.

Leeds will be without Junior Firpo and Ilia Gruev but Max Wober is back after the Austrian failed to make the bench over Christmas. One thing will be on the mind of the Leeds players, and that’s revenge.

Daniel Farke possibly, too. Since taking over as Leeds manager in the summer of 2023, Farke has faced John Eustace on three occasions for two different teams, Birmingham in August 2023 and Blackburn since.

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Confirmed Leeds XI as Whites eye revenge against Blackburn

Eustace has won all three games 1-0. A late Lukas Jutkiewicz penalty saw Birmingham win before Eustace was replaced by Wayne Rooney, while Sammie Szmodics scored the only goal at Elland Road in April.

Then, Todd Cantwell won and scored a penalty in November to beat Leeds at Ewood Park. Farke will be eyeing revenge even if he says he isn’t, and Leeds have made four changes in order to try and do that.

The big surprise by Farke is that he has taken captain Ethan Ampadu out of the side after playing three games in a row. The skipper is replaced by Joe Rothwell who faces his old club. Ao Tanaka stays in.

In attack, Wilfried Gnonto drops out for Dan James and Manor Solomon comes in for £10m Largie Ramazani, with Farke reverting the changes he made at Derby.

Up top, Joel Piroe came on to lay on the assist for Brenden Aaronson’s winner at Derby and he starts having been rotated to the bench for Mateo Joseph last time out. He will be hoping to add to his nine goals.

Confirmed XI: Illan Meslier; Jayden Bogle, Joe Rodon, Pascal Struijk, Sam Byram; Ao Tanaka, Joe Rothwell; Dan James, Brenden Aaronson, Manor Solomon; Joel Piroe.

Leeds’ record against Blackburn in last 10 games is a good one

Even though Blackburn have won the last two games against Leeds, the Whites’ record against Eustace’s side is a good one. The Whites have actually won seven of the past 10 games, but have lost three times.

Typically then, there will be a winner on Saturday afternoon rather than a draw given the last tie came way back in February 2013. The two have since done battle on 16 occasions, mostly in the Championship.

A win for Leeds could see Farke’s men go five points clear at the top of the table, if Burnley fail to beat Mark Robins’ new side Stoke City. Sheffield United and Sunderland do battle later on Saturday evening.