Leeds United return to Championship action with a tasty Yorkshire derby against Sheffield United and Daniel Farke has named his starting line-up.
The Whites will be looking to become the first team to beat Sheffield United in the Championship this season and can climb above them into the top two with a win.
Preparation for this one has been far from ideal for Leeds as Farke had just ’14/15′ players in training as recently as Wednesday, due to the late returning internationals.
Ao Tanaka, Wilfried Gnonto, Charlie Crew, Junior Firpo and Brenden Aaronson all played 90 minutes over the course of Tuesday and Wednesday, with Farke frustrated at the decision to play this game on a Friday.
That said, the two weeks since the draw at Sunderland last time out has handed Manor Solomon and Dan James the time to return to fitness, both of which are huge boosts.
Daniel Farke names Leeds starting XI to face Sheffield United
Illan Meslier was in the headlines for all the wrong reasons after the game at the Stadium of Light after his incredible 97th minute howler cost Leeds three points.
However, Farke has unsurprisingly kept faith in Meslier as his number one and hopefully the last two weeks has handed him the opportunity to put it firmly behind him.
For the 10th league game in a row, Meslier starts behind a back four of Jayden Bogle, Joe Rodon, Pascal Struijk and Firpo, with the former facing his old club for the first time since leaving in the summer.
Leeds have been assessing the free agent market for potential midfield signings but Ao Tanaka and Joe Rothwell is very much Farke’s first choice partnership with Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev out. This is the second time in which they have started together.
There had been doubts over Aaronson’s ability to start the match but Farke has ignored those and included him in the line-up.
£10.5m man Joel Piroe also keeps his place up front after scoring on just his second start of the season last time out.
Confirmed XI: Meslier; Bogle, Rodon, Struijk, Firpo; Tanaka, Rothwell; Gnonto, Aaronson, Ramazani; Piroe
Farke bench bolstered by returning Leeds duo
Farke’s bench away at both Norwich City and Sunderland left him with very little in the way of options to come on and change the game, but that isn’t the case tonight.
Untested teenagers Crew, James Debayo and Sam Chambers were all in the squad for both of those matches, though it is only the latter who doesn’t make the squad tonight. Joe Gelhardt is also absent.
Solomon and James are both fit enough for a place on the bench, and they will be joined by Patrick Bamford, Sam Byram, Karl Darlow and Isaac Schmidt.
Confirmed bench: Darlow, Byram, Schmidt, Debayo, Crew, Bamford, Solomon, James, Joseph
Receive a digest of our best Leeds content each week direct to your mailbox
