The starting lineup for Leeds United’s Saturday afternoon matchup at Elland Road vs Coventry City is predicted by FLW.
After losing to Sunderland in the middle of the week, Leeds United will be trying to bounce back when they welcome Coventry City on Saturday afternoon.
Even though the margin between the top two teams widened following the most recent set of games, the Whites have won nine of the previous twelve and are still third in the standings. They hope to win their 13th league game of the year when they take on Mark Robins’ team.
Daniel Farke’s club has won seven straight and lost none of its ten home games as they stand as the only Championship team yet to lose at Elland Road.
Leeds may be back to within striking distance of Leicester City and Ipswich Town in the top two with a victory. Here, we examine the starting lineup that Farke might use to attempt to hold onto that perfect home record. Could he adjust for the defeat to Sunderland earlier in the season?
GK: Illan Meslier
This position has been unchanged in the league all season for Farke who knows who his number-one is. Leeds do not lack goalkeeping options with Karl Darlow also on their books, but the current starter is their most talented option, in the form of the 23-year-old.
When fit, he looks likely to retain his place for the majority of the rest of the season. Meslier made a terrific save against Sunderland and notched a clean sheet against Blackburn Rovers and it would be nonsensical without an injury issue forcing Farke into turning to his deputy.
RB: Archie Gray
Gray is a midfielder by trade, but Farke has had to try different things at right-back because Stuart Dallas and Djed Spence have been sidelined for the majority of the campaign. In addition to Jamie Shackleton and Sam Byram being sidelined at the moment, Luke Ayling’s form has declined.
At the present, Gray appears to be his first option as the 17-year-old has been used there a lot, starting five of the previous six games at full-back. Despite possibly requiring a break, he still deserves to be a staple in the role once more.
CB: Joe Rodon
Despite making frequent appearances, Rodon has solidified his place as Leeds’ starting right-sided center back, and it seems probable that he will stay in the starting lineup. He maintains Leeds’ defense’s equilibrium between a right and left footer, and his stature has been increasing with each passing game.
Ayling or Liam Cooper’s leadership will still be something Farke will want to rely on, but he also shouldn’t want to sabotage the growing partnership at the center of Leeds’ defense whenever he can. Compared to Cooper and Charlie Cresswell, Rodon is more skilled with the ball and still possesses great aerial strength.
CB: Pascal Struijk
Struijk is another who has more quality on the ball than any of Leeds’ defensive choices. He has been one of Leeds’ most dominant and reliable back line players this season and should continue to feature now that he is fully recovered from a hernia problem.
The Whites should give Rodon and Struijk more time to develop as a duo since they have a lot of potential together. This season, he has led the team on a few occasions and has been outstanding thus far. Even at just 24, Struijk is already making an impression on Farke in the Leeds first team dressing room.
LB: Djed Spence
Since their time together at Norwich, Byram has been the epitome of consistency. The German knows Byram well and can put his trust in his method. However, Byram and Junior Firpo are still sidelined for several weeks, even though they recently resumed training.
This implies that, unless Farke wants to switch up his full-back pairing, Spence will have to fill in as the team’s left-back. Although he showed some promise against Sunderland on Tuesday, Farke’s lack of options is forcing him to play after a protracted absence.
CM: Glen Kamara
Thus far, the 28-year-old has mostly impressed. He is a terrific option because of his carrying abilities, ball retention under duress, and clean passing, which has helped tie everything together thus far. He did not fare well against Sunderland, though, possibly indicating that Leeds needs to rotate players after recently being overworked.
Although Gray, who is only 17 and in his first professional season, is clearly skilled enough to play games at the Championship level and make an impact, the Whites have relied too much on him in this role. Although Kamara will be there, given the hectic pace this time of year, both of them should ideally get some time off for rest and recuperation.
CM: Ethan Ampadu
Ampadu, who was by far the greatest summer acquisition, has shown to be incredibly consistent and has already established himself as one of Leeds’ best players this year. For the majority of the season, Ampadu ought to start at the base of midfield with either Gray or Kamara. Nevertheless, he is a player who has participated in every minute of every game to date and has recently displayed some indications of that.
He will be responsible for both initiating deep attacks and picking up the pieces during transition. His experience is crucial for his age and may come in handy once more. Ampadu, a 23-year-old senior player, is still getting better every game and becoming a more respected player.
RW: Willy Gnonto
Dan James, who has been a mainstay for Farke and has rightfully kept his position, struggled on Tuesday night, which might have given Gnonto the opportunity to step in and replace him. In his brief appearance in the Stadium of Light, the Italian made an impression.
Farke, who has choices in his forward line, will undoubtedly have been impressed by his directness and readiness to play full back. Considering the caliber of the performance, though, he might be willing to rotate in some areas. With Gnonto on the field, Leeds appeared much more promising. He will be itching for a starting position soon, especially given the hectic Christmas schedule.
CAM: Joel Piroe
With nine goal contributions in just nine games while wearing a Leeds shirt, Piroe is already off the mark. The 24-year-old delivers what Leeds needs—a more natural finisher than Georginio Rutter or Patrick Bamford—either as the team’s lone attacker or by running into the box behind a center-forward to make runs from deep.
Despite his goals, he hasn’t always been given room to play and assault the box in games, and under Leeds’ press, he can be a pretty inconspicuous character. But Piroe is showing in his early games and will undoubtedly be important for the Whites over the season as his relationship with Leeds’ star center-forward grows.
LW: Crysencio Summerville
This season, the Dutchman has played both left and right, but no matter where he is used, he poses a serious threat. With multiple game-winning performances and goal contributions, he demonstrated that he is possibly Leeds’ finest player and most important attacker. He can also unlock a lower block.
Summerville is possibly the best player in the division right now, and none of Leeds’ wide players can compare to him. When healthy, he has been one of Leeds’ greatest players and their biggest threat, thus he should start ahead of Jaidon Anthony and hold the starting position over James. It is also fair to say that Summerville was the October Championship Player of the Month winner.
CF: Georginio Rutter
Even though Piroe isn’t a prolific scorer, Leeds and Farke have managed to make things work by having him play right behind the Frenchman, and he is taking ownership of the position. Due to ongoing injuries to players like Patrick Bamford, Farke has not had many options, and Rutter has emerged as a crucial player.
Rutter gives the former room to explore and drift into the box with his dribbling, carrying skills, and quickness in confined spaces. He has now tallied eight assists, including several amazing passing performances. Even though Rutter has only scored four goals thus far—some Leeds supporters may have been hoping for more—he is playing well and has a terrific passing sense. His
