Leeds United will be looking for an immediate return to winning ways when they host Coventry City on Saturday.
The Whites were beaten 1-0 at Sunderland on Tuesday night with the gap to the automatic promotion places now at 10 points, meaning another winning run will be required to keep the pressure on.
Daniel Farke’s side will be looking for a similar response to what they produced after their last defeat at Stoke City, when they swept West Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield Town aside 4-1.
While Coventry represent tougher opposition, in order to do that, Farke will need to make some changes to his side, with nine of the outfielders on Tuesday night having started all of Leeds‘ five matches in 18 days since the international break.
Sunderland looked like a step too far for many, including midfield duo Ethan Ampadu and Glen Kamara, who both produced leggy, tired performances.
Farke should hand Gruev a start
With that in mind, Farke should consider handing Ilia Gruev just his second start since joining the club in a £5 million deal from Werder Bremen in the summer.
Gruev hardly covered himself in glory on his full debut at Stoke, but in fairness, no one did. It is also incredibly difficult for him to get a understanding of the system and his teammates, if he never plays.
However, Saturday feels like the perfect time to freshen up a couple of positions with a huge clash against Ipswich on the horizon – the first of four matches in just nine days.
It would be wise for Farke to take out one of Ampadu or Kamara on Saturday given how much football they have played. The former has played every minute of every game in all competitions this season for Leeds.
Farke has previously spoken about how much he likes Gruev as a player and it is time to put those words into action on Saturday by giving him an opportunity.
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