Leeds United are preparing for their 20th Championship game of the season on Tuesday night when top-six hopefuls Middlesbrough come to Elland Road for the second time this term.
Michael Carrick has already taken his Boro outfit to Elland Road in the Carabao Cup this season. A 3-0 win for Leeds‘ opponents, with The Whites rocked by the imminent sale of Georginio Rutter to Brighton.
Since then, Leeds have got their act together and sit in second place in the Championship. From their 19 league games, Leeds have 11 wins and 11 clean sheets, only a point behind leaders Sheffield United.
But Leeds have suffered a blow with Junior Firpo picking up a hamstring injury. The defender will be out for the entire Christmas period, missing the next 4-6 weeks and that means Max Wober is likely to start.
Leeds fans want Isaac Schmidt to earn first Championship start
Wober scored his first goal for Leeds on Saturday after replacing Firpo and it is likely the Austrian will win his first league start for Leeds since May 2023. Sam Byram is back from a hamstring injury and could start.
Jayden Bogle as picked up a muscular issue himself and will be a late call. Byram then is expected to come in but given he has just recovered from a muscle injury, and his injury-prone status, it might not be best.
Leeds fans then, want a first start for £4.6m summer signing Isaac Schmidt on Tuesday night:
One Leeds fan predicted that Schmidt “may get a chance” amid the latest injuries to Firpo and Bogle. Another expects Schmidt to start or for Ethan Ampadu to be thrown in at right-back.
It is a precarious position to throw someone into the starting line-up for their first start against a side like Middlesbrough, and one fan thinks Schmidt may start but described it as “sketchy”.
Another says that he is “very curious” to see how Schmidt would get on if Daniel Farke does start the Swiss summer signing. Indeed, the fan describes losing Firpo as a “huge blow”.
Daniel Farke’s previous comments on Isaac Schmidt is a worry
The left-footed right-back has only been afforded a few appearances off the bench, with Schmidt suffering injuries since joining Leeds and recently, the defender undergoing an operation on a hernia.
But he is fit again and given his form for St. Gallen, Schmidt should give Leeds an exciting option on the flanks. Would Farke have liked to have given him his first start against a team like Middlesbrough?
Probably not. But Schmidt starting all depends on whether Farke is ready to risk Byram from the off, something he might not have been prepared to do if Bogle was fit and ready to start once again.
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