Predicted Leeds United XI to face Plymouth… Four changes as Daniel Farke hands out a full Elland Road debut

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A full week on the training pitch will have done Leeds United wonders ahead of their match with Plymouth Argyle.

With injuries continuing to bite, Leeds have had a hectic last month or so, with games coming thick and fast either side of another busy international break for Daniel Farke’s squad.

However, Farke has finally been able to use this week as a period to ease the load on his Leeds side, which should stand them in good stead at Elland Road.

In Dan James, Patrick Bamford and Joe Gelhardt, Farke has three potential injury doubts heading into the match, and will also be without Jayden Bogle after his fifth booking of the season at Bristol City last weekend.

Here is our predicted XI for the match.

• READ MORE: Key Plymouth attacker suspended for Leeds United match as Daniel Farke also faces defender absence

Goalkeeper

With a couple of solid claims and some nice bits of sweeper keeping, Illan Meslier was as dominant as he has been for a while at Ashton Gate, and obviously keeps his place.

Defence

Junior Firpo was strongly missed for Leeds last weekend and comes straight back into the side at left-back in Farke’s first change.

However, Farke will have to make an alteration on the other side of defence due to Bogle’s suspension and Isaac Schmidt should get the nod over Sam Byram.

Against a struggling side at home there isn’t a better time to hand Schmidt a full debut, with Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk making up the rest of the back four.

Midfield

Josuha Guilavogui has had another week of full team training under his belt but has effectively been brought in as backup for Leeds.

Ao Tanaka and Joe Rothwell were again solid last weekend, and so continue their partnership in midfield.

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Attack

Leeds’ attack was a long way from its best at Bristol City with Largie Ramazani quite clearly a huge miss after his ankle injury.

And Farke may well be forced into another change after the news James has been struggling with his hamstring this week, opening up the possibility for Manor Solomon to start.

Regardless of who gets the nod from James or Solomon, Wilfried Gnonto will continue on the other flank. He is now on four bookings and needs to be careful.

This could be the sort of game for Joel Piroe to start in the number 10 role but Brenden Aaronson offers considerably more than him there, and so the former Swansea City man should be dropped to the bench for Mateo Joseph.

Predicted XI: Meslier; Schmidt, Rodon, Struijk, Firpo; Tanaka, Rothwell; James, Aaronson; Gnonto; Joseph