One disappointment from Leeds United’s sixth Championship win of the season against Watford was the yellow card picked up by Junior Firpo, meaning the left-back will now serve a suspension.
Renowned for being particularly aggressive on the pitch and rash in the tackle, the former Barcelona star went into Tuesday night’s 2-1 win over Watford with four yellow cards to his name already this season.
He is not the only one. Jayden Bogle and Joe Rodon also have four yellows, with Daniel Farke naming the same back four all season in Bogle, Rodon, Pascal Struijk and Firpo for Leeds’ 11 Championship matches.
Bogle and Rodon escaped another game without picking up a yellow card but Firpo was not so lucky. Referee Anthony Backhouse was left with no choice but to hand Firpo a yellow during the second half.
Simon Grayson predicts who will replace Junior Firpo on Saturday
With Watford pushing for an equaliser, Festy Ebosele went past Firpo on Leeds’ left flank and in order to prevent the cross from a dangerous position, Firpo chose to take the hit and pull the Watford man back.
A smart decision from Firpo, even if it means he will now miss Saturday’s trip to Bristol City. Given his travelling with the Dominican Republic, a rest was probably needed for Firpo at this stage of the season.
Simon Grayson was asked on BBC Radio Leeds who he thought would come in to replace Firpo, and he thinks it will be Sam Byram to start, instead of Isaac Schmidt: “Yeah you would do [expect Byram to go in].
“Because every time Daniel puts on a sub for a full-back, it is Sam that comes. Maybe Schmidt is just waiting, still trying to understand the English game. I would be surprised if Sam doesn’t start the game.”
Isaac Schmidt will surely feel hard done by if Sam Byram starts
Grayson’s view is probably right. Daniel Farke will go for reliability and experience in Byram, over new signing Schmidt who is yet to start a Championship game. Byram hasn’t started a league game this term.
But with Farke starting the same defence for 11 games, opportunities for the likes of Byram and Schmidt have been few and far between. With Firpo only out for one game, when is Schmidt going to get his turn?
Bought for £4.6m, Schmidt scored in the Conference League before joining Leeds. So, he is clearly adept at this level. This is the first glimmer of a chance that Schmidt starts but if he doesn’t, when will he?
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