Predicted Leeds XI for Birmingham trip: Gnonto dropped as 21-year-old returns from injury

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Leeds United make the trip to Birmingham City on Saturday in their second Championship game of the season.

Daniel Farke will be looking for his first league win as Leeds boss following last weekend’s draw with Cardiff City, but did oversee a 2-1 victory over Shrewsbury Town on Wednesday in the Carabao Cup.

Farke has already has a number of selection dilemmas to contend with amid ongoing transfer speculation and a plethora of injury problems.

Georginio Rutter, Sam Greenwood, Jack Harrison, Tyler Adams, Junior Firpo, Cody Drameh, Mateo Joseph and Patrick Bamford all missed out last weekend, while Crysencio Summerville and Liam Cooper are now also sidelined.

Speculation surrounding the future of Wilfried Gnonto has also ramped up this week and so with all that in mind, we have done our best to predict how Farke could line-up.

Goalkeeper

Karl Darlow made his competitive Leeds debut against Shrewsbury earlier this week but Illan Meslier is expected to retain the number one spot while he is here.

Defence

Drameh made his return from injury in the cup but given he only played the final five minutes, Luke Ayling is likely to keep his place at right-back, with Sam Byram replacing Leo Hjelde on the other side.

Charlie Cresswell and Pascal Struijk look set to start together for the first time at centre-back, as Leeds look to finalise Joe Rodon’s loan move from Spurs.

Midfield

Leeds look extremely light on numbers in the centre of the park still and so Ethan Ampadu and Archie Gray are likely to continue their partnership, despite playing another 90 minutes on Wednesday.

Attack

After asking to be left out of the squad against Shrewsbury, there is too much speculation to warrant handing Gnonto another start.

That could see Rutter receive the nod up front after returning to training this week following a minor side strain, with Luis Sinisterra also coming back into the XI.

Ian Poveda continues to impress in the minutes he is handed by Farke, and should start on the right, with Dan James on the left.

Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Meslier; Ayling, Cresswell, Struijk, Byram; Ampadu, Gray; Poveda, Sinisterra, James; Rutter