Leeds United are finally back in Championship action again this weekend after the international break halted their stuttering start to the campaign. Daniel Farke will be hoping that such a hiatus from football has reinvigorated his side, which is full of potential debutants set to earn their first appearances.
Who will start for Leeds United vs Millwall?
Having endured a tumultuous summer of vast change, the German manager admittedly did well to end the window with a squad still capable of challenging for the title. That is largely due to the huge influx of departures he was forced to oversee, as numerous clauses inserted by the previous ownership allowed the bulk of his team to leave with little hesitation.
No less than 15 senior players jumped ship over the summer, with the nine he brought in seeking to offset such damages.
Now, with those stars having all been integrated into life in Yorkshire, they will be ready and raring to go, especially given the early success earned by the likes of Ethan Ampadu, Joe Rodon and Joel Piroe, all of whom are new additions.
Glen Kamara is one outstanding option who will be keen to make his debut against Millwall, whilst Deadline Day signing Jaidon Anthony could provide a wealth of firepower after he was enlisted to replace Luis Sinisterra.
However, it is actually a defensive introduction that could make all the difference, with Djed Spence certain to play a key role in any promotion success earned this year, with positional rival Luke Ayling having “seriously struggled in every game” this season, as per fan pundit Kris Smith.
How good is Djed Spence?
Having been brought in on a shrewd loan deal from Tottenham Hotspur, in similar fashion to how they snagged the aforementioned Welsh centre-back, many have lauded this deal as one which could be hugely important.
After all, the 23-year-old already has experience at this level with Nottingham Forest, where his explosive exploits down the right flank helped them soar to the playoff final, and back into the Premier League.
During that 2021/22 season, the dynamo featured 42 times in the league, maintaining a 6.75 average rating largely upheld by his six goal contributions. However, he would not shirk his defensive responsibilities, also recording adding 1.5 interceptions, 1.4 tackles and 1.1 clearances per game to his one key passes per game, via Sofascore.
Upon making his move to Spurs, former Premier League player Trevor Sinclair hailed his attacking skillset and feared for the division in which he would barely feature: “I think he’s is going to be a huge problem,” he started.
“I saw him play against Arsenal for Nottingham Forest last season – he was against [Nuno] Tavares, [Gabriel] Martinelli, and [Kieran] Tierney and he ran them all ragged. He really made his mark in the Championship last season and also played very well against Leicester City when they knocked them out of the FA Cup. I think he’s the real deal.”
Arsenal great Ian Wright would supplement such a claim after that clash with his former club, noting: “If we are talking about right-backs performing at an unbelievable level, we’re talking Reece James and Trent (Alexander-Arnold). But I have not seen a combative, technical, swashbuckling performance like that for a very long time.”
Even in his brief cameo against Sheffield Wednesday the other week, his neat touches and bursts forward showcased just a glimpse of the immense talent they had secured, with the aforementioned Smith noting the difference between the new man and Ayling:
“We also now have one of the best full-backs in the league waiting for his chance to shine. Died Spence had 10 minutes off the bench against Sheffield Wednesday and completed just one less take-on than Ayling had completed all season so far, showing exactly what he’s going to bring to us. He can carry the ball past anyone in this division.”
Should Farke seek to hand Spence the start he surely merits, it could prove devastating for Millwall, who sit just one point above his side – who have admittedly struggled to find that cutting edge to their play. With the firepower the young Englishman will bring to the full-back position, that is a problem set to be solved.
