Leeds player travels to Derby despite not being included in matchday squad by Daniel Farke since October

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Daniel Farke will be desperate to make it two away wins from two on Sunday evening as Leeds United go to Derby County for the second time this month.

At the halfway stage, Leeds sit top of the Championship table with 48 points from 23 league games. The Whites’ 2-0 away win over Stoke City was only their fourth from 11 games, but it took them to first place.

A Joel Piroe brace banished a big lump of fans’ concerns about Daniel Farke’s tactics on the road and a win at Derby will go even further into removing that. The return of Ethan Ampadu in midfield was pivotal.

Despite the form of Ao Tanaka and Joe Rothwell, Leeds lacked bite away from home and it was deemed “no coincidence” by Farke that with Ampadu back in the side, Leeds secured three points against Stoke.

• READ MORE: The six Leeds stars linked with the exit door ahead of January window

Daniel Farke includes forgotten Leeds man in travelling squad

Joe Gelhardt is expected to leave Leeds in January having managed just three appearances and only one start this season. The striker is firmly considered the club’s fourth-choice striker as things stand.

That is despite Gelhardt impressing Farke in training. A hip injury in recent weeks has kept Gelhardt on the sidelines, but now Leeds Live say he is in the 21-man squad that is travelling to Derby tonight.

It might be Gelhardt is included in the squad for the first time since October, when he was an unused sub against Bristol City in the 0-0 draw at Ashton Gate. Whether he is named as a sub, remains to be seen.

Surely, Joe Gelhardt has played his last game for Leeds United

Even if Gelhardt is among the subs tonight, Patrick Bamford and Mateo Joseph will surely get on the pitch ahead of the former Wigan starlet. Gelhardt is likely to leave Leeds on loan for a second time in January.

Clubs like Rangers, Plymouth, Stoke and plenty of others have been linked. Gelhardt could link up with pal Sam Greenwood at Preston, while QPR are interested but cannot afford a permanent deal for Gelhardt.

But even if he does leave on loan in January and ends up returning in the summer, the likelihood is that he has played his last game for Leeds with a permanent exit expected sooner rather than later for him.