Leeds United return to action at Elland Road on Wednesday night as they prepare to host Welsh side Swansea City in the Championship.
The Whites are currently third in the table and are on the hunt to chase down the top two in the division – Ipswich Town and Leicester City.
They gained one point on the Tractor Boys over the weekend and now sit seven points behind them but are ten off the Foxes at the summit – despite securing a 1-0 win over Enzo Maresca’s side earlier this month.
This means that it will take a colossal effort for Leeds to overtake those above them to earn an automatic promotion place but they still have 29 more matches to gain ground and secure promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
Daniel Farke’s side need to focus on their own results and hope that other teams slip up along the way and three points against Swansea this week could be an important step on their way to success.
They head into this game off the back of a frustrating 1-1 draw away at Rotherham United last Friday, with Crysencio Summerville scoring the only goal of the game for the Whites.
Farke could now make some alterations to the starting XI for that match in the hope of a return to winning ways against the Swans at Elland Road.
1
Illan Meslier
Between the sticks, French ace Illan Meslier could retain his position in goal. He has started all 17 of the club’s league games this term and there were no major errors against Rotherham to warrant him being dropped for this clash.
2
Archie Gray
The 17-year-old starlet – Archie Gray – could continue to impress at right-back, away from his natural position in midfield. He won seven of his 12 duels against the Millers and won two tackles for the team.
3
Joe Rodon
At the heart of the defence, Joe Rodon should start again after a dominant display last Friday night. The Tottenham Hotspur loanee has been an impressive addition to the squad and showcased his quality last week.
Related
Leeds titan with 90% duels won was Farke’s true hero over Summerville on Friday
The impressive colossus stood up to the task on Friday night against Rotherham.
As you can read in the article above, he dominated the opposition with his defensive prowess and deserves to keep his place in the XI after that performance.
4
Pascal Struijk
The first change that the head coach could make to the XI is to bring Pascal Struijk back into the side in place of the experienced Liam Cooper.
He started on the bench against Rotherham after dealing with a hernia over the international break but was pressed into action with ten minutes to go as Cooper was forced off with a knock.
The Dutch colossus has started 15 of the club’s 17 Championship matches and could come straight back into the XI after being rested for the majority of last week’s clash.
5
Sam Byram
At left-back, Farke could make another change to his team with Sam Byram coming back in for Junior Firpo, who could be ditched after his first start of the campaign.
The former Barcelona defender lost eight of his 16 duels and only competed one of his three attempted dribbles throughout his 70 minutes on the pitch.
It was a sloppy display from the full-back and Byram, who was an unused substitute after recovering from a knock, could return to the line-up.
The English titan has started 13 Championship matches so far this season and contributed with 2.9 tackles and interceptions per game for the Whites.
Since joining on a free transfer from Norwich City, the veteran defender has been a strong defensive presence for the German boss and could play a key role tonight with his ability to win possession back for the team if selected on the left.
6
Glen Kamara
The Finland international has been a superb addition from Scottish giants Rangers and should start in midfield. He has been calmness personified in possession with a pass success rate of 92% for the Whites.
7
Ethan Ampadu
Like Kamara, Ethan Amapdu has been in impressive form for Leeds since his summer switch from Premier League side Chelsea and should start in the middle of the park. The Wales international has made 3.6 tackles and interceptions per game so far in the Championship.
8
Ian Poveda
The third and final change to the XI could be Ian Poveda being unleashed on the right side of the attack in place of Wales international Daniel James.
Poveda completed 100% of his attempted passes and one dribble in 20 minutes off the bench against Rotherham after the former Manchester United forward endured a difficult night.
James only found a teammate with 59% of his attempted passes and failed with all four of his attempted dribbles. The lightweight lost all seven of his duels throughout the game and could now lose his place in the XI as a result of that disappointing display.
Farke hailed Poveda as a “creative” talent who has impressed in training and could unleash him from the start for the second time in the league this term.
9
Joel Piroe
In the number ten position, Joel Piroe could keep his place after a return of one goal, three key passes, and one ‘big chance’ created in his last two league outings for the Yorkshire-based side. He has plundered six Championship goals in total since his move from Wednesday night’s opponents.
10
Crysencio Summerville
Arguably the easiest decision that Farke has to make with this XI. Crysencio Summerville scored his seventh league goal of the season in the draw with Rotherham with a superb curled effort into the bottom corner and is able to provide a huge attacking threat on the left flank.
11
Georgino Rutter
Speaking of being a huge attacking threat, Georgino Rutter should continue to lead the line after his sixth assist of the campaign against the Millers. He has created 15 ‘big chances’ in 15 Championship appearances for his teammates so far this season.
This shows that the French magician has been a consistent source of creativity in the number nine position for Leeds, as the 21-year-old gem has the quality to split open opposition defences on a regular basis.
