Daniel Farke should consider handing 30-year-old Leeds United player shock start on Friday

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Leeds United face their toughest match of the season at Leicester City on Friday.

The Foxes have made the best ever start to a Championship campaign with 13 wins from their opening 14 matches, and Leeds will have to be at their very best to come away with three points.

Leeds have already faced a number of tricky away matches so far this season, having already visited all of Ipswich Town, Southampton and Norwich City.

Though they have come out on top in two of those games, at the same time, Leeds also conceded eight goals. They cannot afford to be so open at the King Power, otherwise they will come away with nothing.

One potential surprise change Daniel Farke should consider making for the game is handing Patrick Bamford his first start of the season, in place of Joel Piroe.

Farke should consider handing Bamford start at Leicester

There is almost always a place for Piroe to play in this team thanks to his goalscoring ability, but Leeds will need to defend well from front to back on Friday night.

Piroe is arguably the biggest weak link for Leeds off the ball when he plays as a number 10. If he was to start, the Whites’ midfield two – likely to consist of Ethan Ampadu and Glen Kamara – will face a tough task trying to win the battle against a three of Harry Winks, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Cesare Casadei.

There is no doubt Bamford is currently suffering from a lack of confidence in front of goal, and last week’s penalty miss will have not done anything to improve that.

However, something which you can never knock him for his work rate and pressing. Amid Leicester’s tendency to play out from the back, that could prove incredibly useful, with it being an attribute Piroe does not have.

Leeds have scored several goals on the counter-attack this season and so if they can win the ball back in high areas of the pitch – which Bamford would help to do – it would be a huge step towards winning the game.

With all that said, it would take a huge call from Farke to replace Leeds’ most expensive signing of the summer in Piroe with Bamford. However, it is one he should consider.