Jamie Shackleton and Jaidon Anthony won’t be available for Leeds United’s midweek home game against Stoke City.
Moving forward While right-back Shackleton must adhere to concussion procedures and will miss Friday night’s away game against Sheffield Wednesday, Anthony is attending his mother’s funeral. Junior Firpo, the left defender, is doubtful due to a calf ailment, but Sam Byram, the right back, is fit after recovering from a hamstring injury.
The team must manage through a three-game week under manager Daniel Farke, who has 28 of the last 30 points available. However, after a draw at Stoke’s relegation rivals Huddersfield Town on Saturday, Farke won’t be throwing everything away.
“To be honest, (the Huddersfield game) isn’t much of a blip,” he remarked. In these situations, it’s necessary to gain ground, but in general, it’s critical to create a competitive environment where maintaining your position requires performance.
“You have to strike a healthy balance; you can’t assume that if you perform poorly in practice and competition, you’ll constantly be starting. There are always thin edges. It is crucial that you sense the support for this. We look for the ideal combination.
In his press conference prior to the game, he said, “Every day helps [Byram].” He is aware of his body well; for example, we usually make last-minute judgements on the starting lineup when we have a short turnaround. He’s fit enough to play for longer minutes. There are a lot of bumps, bruises, and dead legs, but this is natural; we have to adjust. At this point in the championship, this is how life is. It’s critical that we don’t become overly tolerant just yet.
“Jaidon Anthony won’t be with us for personal reasons. All the other players, with the exception of Jamie Shackleton, who appeared to have suffered a concussion, should be available overall. He’ll be missing Sheffield this weekend and [Stoke]. He is unable to train using concussion guidelines. A minor concern surrounding Junior Firpo is that during the previous game, he experienced calf issues. A phone call with him late at night. Everything else should be available other from this.
