Leeds United hosts Swansea City on Wednesday night when they make their Elland Road comeback.
On Wednesday night, Leeds United plays Swansea City, and Daniel Farke will be making a lot of changes to his team. The Whites, who drew 1-1 with Rotherham United on Friday night, have a short turnaround, and it appears likely that Farke will make changes to his starting lineup.
Here are some potential adjustments the manager may be thinking about as the match at Elland Road draws near.
Defence
First, let’s address the one modification that appears to be enforceable. Although Farke was unable to provide further details following the game, it appears unlikely that Liam Cooper, who injured his hamstring during the draw at New York Stadium, will start the match against the Swans.
After undergoing surgery to repair a hernia on Friday, Pascal Struijk appeared to be the most logical candidate to replace Joe Rodon at the back. Rodon has played a lot of minutes lately for both his club and his country, so Charlie Cresswell will work hard to gain the opportunity to replace him if Rodon is given a break in the upcoming days or weeks.
On the left, it appears reasonable to assume that Sam Byram will return to the starting lineup in lieu of Junior Firpo, who found it difficult to have the desired effect against the Millers. In the upcoming weeks, the right-back position promises to be interesting.
Djed Spence is about to make a comeback, but Archie Gray’s presence ensures he might not start for Farke right away. While Grey is expected to start against Swansea, Spence might see some playing time off the bench and will be eager to contribute.
midfield
This week, Farke might decide not to make any changes to his midfield duo of Glen Kamara and Ethan Ampadu. The two have developed a solid understanding in the middle of the park, so it appears inevitable that they will start together again against the South Wales team unless a break is needed.
Nevertheless, Ilia Gruev is healthy and prepared to substitute if necessary, and after failing to perform at his peak against Stoke City last month, he will be clamouring for another chance. Spence’s return to the right-back position suggests that Grey will again be a midfield option.
Attack
Georginio Rutter seemed to support Farke during the match in Rotherham, but Farke said on Friday night that Rutter should be good to go from the start. Therefore, it’s difficult to imagine him not starting at the front of the queue on Wednesday night, and Crysencio Summerville will also be among the first names on the roster.
Dan James had less of an impact against the Millers, and even though he was playing well prior to the international break, his spot in the starting lineup appears less assured. If something were to change, it’s difficult to say who would take over.
Wilfried Gnonto nearly scored again on Friday night after scoring four goals earlier this month while travelling with the Italy U21s. On the other side, Jaidon Anthony did find the back of the net at New York Stadium, but his effort was disallowed due to an offside during the build-up. Even though Joel Piroe has been an important player for Farke this season, he struggled against the Millers as well, so he might not start against his former team.
The most obvious answer, should Piroe withdraw, would be to insert a winger and move Summerville into a central role. However, Ian Poveda is also healthy and eager to play more after being sidelined in South Yorkshire.
