Daniel Farke says Leeds United have two completely ‘different’ players fighting for one position

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Daniel Farke has a big decision to make at left-back for Leeds United’s upcoming Championship fixture at Bristol City.

Junior Firpo has started all 11 league matches so far this season with an impressive return of one goal and three assists already.

However, Firpo picked up his fifth booking of the season in Leeds‘ win over Watford and will be forced to sit out at Ashton Gate due to suspension.

Thankfully, Leeds are pretty well stocked in the left-back department with both Isaac Schmidt and Sam Byram pushing for their first starts of the season.

Despite both being able to cover on either side of defence, they have played just 53 minutes of league football between them all season and so match fitness will certainly have to come into his thinking.

• READ MORE: Daniel Farke shares injury update on Largie Ramazani ahead of Leeds United’s trip to Bristol City

Farke on Isaac Schmidt vs Sam Byram debate

Firpo is arguably the best attacking left-back in the Championship and so Leeds are going to lose a lot going forward without him.

Schmidt is the more like-for-like replacement in terms of what he can offer in attack, but he is yet to have his defensive capabilities tested at this level.

Byram, meanwhile, has been cutting about in the top two tiers of English football all his career and so Farke knows what he will get from him if he is selected.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Farke refused to give too much away regarding who will get the nod, listing the different attributes in which both have.

He said: “I never speak too much about the starting lineup because my players should be first [to know]. Two natural options there with Byram and Schmidt. We have another training session this afternoon but it’s very likely one of them will replace him.

“They are obviously a bit different, Sam the experienced option, Isaac a new signing with new energy. Sam, also like in terms of physicality, heading, experience.

“He has played pretty often in central defensive role, bit more versatile in this topic. Isaac is pretty offensive-minded. Bit of a different profile but can both do both.”

• READ MORE: Daniel Farke shares whether new signing Josuha Guilavogui will be in Leeds United squad vs Bristol City

Simon Grayson picks Byram over Schmidt for Leeds

Firpo’s replacement has been an ongoing debate since the final whistle of Leeds’ win over Watford, with Simon Grayson among those to have given his opinion.

Grayson believes Byram will be the one given the nod at Bristol City as Farke has tended to bring him off the bench more often than Schmidt this season.

He said: Yeah you would do [expect Byram to go in] because every time Daniel puts on a sub for a full-back, it is Sam that comes.

“Maybe Schmidt is just waiting, still trying to understand the English game. I would be surprised if Sam doesn’t start the game.”