The most recent Leeds United news items for Friday, January 5, 2024 are listed below.
The transfer message from Farke
Daniel Farke, the manager of Leeds United, maintains that he is not in a rush to replace Djed Spence. After just seven games for the Championship team, the 23-year-old has returned to Tottenham Hotspur.
With his departure, the Whites are shorthanded at full back. Due to knee and glute issues, respectively, Luke Ayling and Jamie Shackleton have missed recent games; it is unknown when Sam Byram (hamstring) will be able to play again.
Regarding the possibility of taking Spence’s place, Farke stated: “No, not right now. Due to Djed’s early absence and subsequent long-term injury that sidelined him for almost eight and a half weeks, we were able to play successfully for the first eighteen game days during which he was missing. During training, we were able to come up with some effective solutions to ensure our success. There isn’t an emergency, therefore.
“It goes without saying that we won’t go to sleep because we knew about Junior Firpo’s injury at the time and brought in Djed Spence as a full-back. In addition, Sam Byram’s injury history means that we have other possibilities in the interim, including the fullback Archie Gray, Jamie Shackleton, and Luke Ayling, in case an emergency arises. However, since there is no emergency and we are only acting on our deepest convictions, in the event that an opportunity arises, we may thoroughly examine and evaluate it.”
Pascal Struijk and Sam Byram are out of the FA Cup, therefore Leeds United will start the match against Peterborough United in the third round without two of their best defensive players.
Goalie Karl Darlow, meanwhile, will be sidelined for seven weeks following a thumb injury sustained during practice. Kristoffer Klaesson will remain in goal for Peterborough United as the former goalie for Newcastle United was supposed to fill in for the suspended Illan Meslier, who serves the last game of his three-match sentence this coming weekend.
Struijk, a Dutch defender, has not played since Preston North End’s Boxing Day loss. He may also miss Cardiff City’s match the following weekend, as Byram was substituted out of the match against Birmingham City last weekend.
Both will miss Leeds’ FA Cup third-round match on Sunday, but Farke is optimistic that Byram will be available for the Championship match in South Wales the following weekend. Liam Cooper, who strained his muscle against Birmingham, will also be evaluated in the meantime.
