£25m Leeds United man has just earned himself a start against Aston Villa

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Daniel Farke has a few things to consider ahead of the Premier League clash between Leeds and Aston Villa on Sunday.

The German must decide whether Jaka Bijol or Pascal Struijk starts alongside Joe Rodon, while a decision needs to be made on who lines up in midfield for Leeds after Ao Tanaka watched the 3-1 defeat at Nottingham Forest from the bench.

Daniel Farke – however – should have absolutely no hesitation whatsoever when it comes to naming Dan James in his starting XI ahead of Brenden Aaronson for this Sunday’s game at Elland Road.

Dan James has surely booked a spot in the starting XI for Leeds United vs Aston Villa

Leeds fans would have every right to be furious with Farke if he ignores the Wales international once again this weekend.

Farke criticised James following the 3-1 defeat against Nottingham Forest when asked why he had been leaving the winger out lately, saying: “Of course, he could have started, yes.

“It’s not just a tactical choice, it’s also performance-related… I didn’t see in the last games when he came in that he took the league by storm.”

Following this blunt assessment from the German, James grabbed an assist for his namesake Jordan James in the 1-0 win for Wales over Liechtenstein.

The 28-year-old then got on the scoresheet himself in a 7-1 victory over North Macedonia on Tuesday.

The £25m forward played like a man eager to prove Farke wrong, and get himself back into the starting XI at Leeds after a period on the bench as Aaronson is trusted on the right flank instead.

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Dan James boasts a strong record against Aston Villa which Daniel Farke must also consider

Not only is James – who Joe Rodon can match for speed – in good form, but he also has history of causing Aston Villa problems, particularly Lucas Digne.

The Leeds No.7 has previously scored two goals in his seven Premier League appearances against the Villans, winning three and drawing two of these games – a solid record.

With Digne now 32 and never really possessing much speed in his prime anyway, the rapid James has a much better chance of causing the Frenchman problems than Aaronson does.