Leeds United return after a full week of preparation to face Derby County in the Championship this weekend.
Leeds dropped out of the top two after a 1-0 defeat to Blackburn Rovers last time out and Joe Rodon claimed he couldn’t wait to get going again after such a frustrating result.
Elland Road has been where Leeds have picked up 22 of their 35 points this season, and so Daniel Farke‘s side will be pleased to be returning home for back-to-back matches.
Clashes with Derby always have an added incentive due to the recent history between the clubs but these are the sort of matches Leeds have no excuse not to be winning.
Andy Hinchcliffe has backed Leeds to come away with all three points, using the frustration of Ewood Park in order to do so.
Leeds should recall Largie Ramazani vs Derby
Leeds’ attack at Blackburn did not function well at all and so Farke really needs to be looking at making some changes to his front-line for the weekend.
Brenden Aaronson was someone who really struggled as he lost possession 18 times and failed to complete a single key pass, leaving Tony Dorigo frustrated on commentary.
Farke has praised Aaronson for his work off the ball after a drop-off in form during recent weeks, but this isn’t likely to be a game where Leeds are desperate for that kind of attribute.
With 43.1 per cent, only two clubs have averaged less possession than Derby this season and so Farke should bring Aaronson out of the side for a rest and replace him with Largie Ramazani.
Ramazani has not started since October due to ankle ligament damage but has come off the bench in each of the last two. Another full week of training under his belt should mean he’s ready to be in the line-up.
Farke has actually used the ‘electric‘ Ramazani in a central role in his last two cameos and that should be where he plays again. All be it only briefly, he looked extremely bright in the win over Luton Town.
When Leeds were at their best against the likes of Sheffield United and Coventry City earlier in the season, Ramazani was heavily involved by drifting in off the left.
Aaronson should not be a guaranteed starter just because he is the only out-and-out number 10 in the squad and this is exactly the type of game Ramazani central should be tested in.
What Farke said about Ramazani’s fitness pre-Blackburn
Of course, Farke’s ability to give Ramazani a start is going to depend entirely on his fitness but there is no reason he can’t be ready yet.
Speaking just before Blackburn, Farke claimed Ramazani would not be a topic for the starting XI but after half-an-hour (including stoppage time), and a full week of training, there is no reason that excuse should be used again.
He said: “Yes he was out for several weeks and just back in team training since more or less a few days. I was happy to be able to give him 10 minutes, perhaps not in the most complicated period of the game.
“He showed some glimpses, especially offensive wise also that he is an important player for us. Once he is back to full fitness then he is a top class player for us, but he needs a bit of time.
“So for this week I mentioned he won’t be a topic for the starting line-up, but to play with him he has a little bit of magic around him and sometimes also a creative touch, can create something out of nothing, it’s a good option to have on the bench.
“Obviously this two days more in training will help him a bit in order to be perhaps ready for more than 10 minutes, but for the starting line-up I think it’s too early.”
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