Daniel Farke has options when Leeds United plays Leicester City in the Championship on Friday night, so we asked our club reporter to select the starting lineup he would like.
Daniel Farke has made five changes since Leeds United started an eight-game winning streak, which says volumes about the consistently high calibre of work his starting are putting in. Liam Cooper was rotated out following a hectic holiday season, while Illan Meslier’s return from suspension necessitated three of those transfers (Sam Byram, Daniel James, Patrick Bamford).
With six days separating Friday’s match against Leicester City and Saturday’s victory over Plymouth Argyle, it’s difficult to see why Farke should make any changes to this team’s core. Although Bamford has the potential to re-establish himself in the team, Farke refrained from declaring him available on Wednesday.
The door was left open for the England international, but it’s difficult to defend taking a chance on an injury-prone player like Bamford, even with amazing improvement made in the final 48 hours before kickoff. Friday’s game isn’t the season’s finale or the cup final, as Farke himself stated.
After Leicester’s visit, Bamford can affect 12 more league games. Daniel James is an additional player not on the team that has enough credit to be started, but you cannot afford to start Wilfried Gnonto or Crysencio Summerville on the wings.
In his last four games, the Dutchman has registered four goals and two assists, while in his last five games, the Italian has registered five goals and one assist. The only players in the current lineup that have caused any concern are Joel Piroe and Junior Firpo.
But in all cases, there aren’t any strong contenders in the wings. While Jamie Shackleton hasn’t played enough football recently to warrant moving out a player who is a better fit at left-back than Sam Byram, the latter is injured.
Although Connor Roberts has experience playing on the left, Firpo has not performed poorly enough for the Wales international to be drafted in for a full debut on his weaker side of the pitch. Even if Mateo Joseph is making progress this season, there aren’t many strikers with the presence to match Piroe now that Bamford is out.
Beren’s XI: Meslier; Gray, Rodon, Ampadu, Firpo; Gruev, Kamara; Gnonto, Rutter, Summerville; Piroe.
