Daniel Farke’s possible starting lineup against the Welsh outfit.
Leeds United return to action at Elland Road on Wednesday night, hosting Swansea City in the Championship.
The Whites are currently third in the table and looking to catch the division’s top two, Ipswich Town and Leicester City.
They gained one point on the Tractor Boys over the weekend and are now seven points behind them, but ten points behind the Foxes at the top – despite a 1-0 victory over Enzo Maresca‘s side earlier this month.
This means that Leeds will have to make a massive effort to overtake those above them in order to earn an automatic promotion spot, but they still have 29 more games to make up ground and secure promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
Daniel Farke‘s side must concentrate on their own results while hoping that other teams stumble along the way, and three points against Swansea this week could be a significant step towards success.
They come into this game off the back of a frustrating 1-1 draw at Rotherham United last Friday, with Crysencio Summerville scoring the Whites‘ only goal.
Farke could now make changes to the starting XI for that match in the hope of getting back to winning ways against Swansea at Elland Road.
1. Illan Meslier
Illan Meslier, the French ace between the sticks, could keep his job. He has started all 17 of the club’s league games this season, and there were no major errors against Rotherham to justify his exclusion from this match.
2. Archie Gray
Archie Gray, a 17-year-old starlet, could continue to impress at right-back, away from his natural position in midfield. He won seven of his twelve duels against the Millers and recorded two team tackles.
3. Joe Rodon
After a dominant performance last Friday night, Joe Rodon should start again at the heart of the defence. The Tottenham Hotspur loanee has been a valuable addition to the squad and demonstrated his abilities last week.
4.Pascal Struijk
The first change the head coach could make to the starting lineup is to bring back Pascal Struijk in place of the experienced Liam Cooper.
He came off the bench against Rotherham after suffering from a hernia during the international break, but was forced into action with ten minutes remaining when Cooper was forced off with a knock.
The Dutch colossus has started 15 of the club’s 17 Championship games and could return to the starting lineup immediately after being rested for the majority of last week’s match.
5. Sam Byram
Farke could make another change at left-back, with Sam Byram replacing Junior Firpo, who could be dropped after his first start of the season.
During his 70 minutes on the pitch, the former Barcelona defender lost eight of his 16 duels and only completed one of his three attempted dribbles.
It was a sloppy display from the full-back and Byram, who was an unused substitute after recovering from a knock, could return to the line-up.
This season, the English titan has started 13 Championship games and averaged 2.9 tackles and interceptions per game for the Whites.
The veteran defender has been a strong defensive presence for the German manager since joining on a free transfer from Norwich City and could play a key role tonight with his ability to win possession back for the team if selected on the left.
6. Glen Kamara
The Finland international has been a fantastic addition to Rangers and should start in midfield. In possession, he has been the epitome of calm, with a 92% pass success rate for the Whites.
7. Ethan Ampadu
Ethan Amapdu, like Kamara, has been in impressive form for Leeds since joining from Premier League side Chelsea in the summer and should start in the middle of the park. So far in the Championship, the Wales international has averaged 3.6 tackles and interceptions per game.
8. Ian Poveda
The third and final change to the starting lineup could see Ian Poveda replace Wales international Daniel James on the right side of the attack.
Poveda completed 100% of his attempted passes and one dribble in 20 minutes off the bench against Rotherham after a difficult night for the former Manchester United forward.
James connected on only 59% of his attempted passes and failed on all four of his attempted dribbles. The lightweight lost all seven of his duels during the game and may now be dropped from the starting lineup as a result of his poor performance.
Farke praised Poveda as a “creative” talent who has impressed in training and could be used from the start for the second time this season.
9. Joel Piroe
Joel Piroe, the number ten, could keep his spot after scoring one goal, making three key passes, and creating one ‘big chance’ in his last two league games for the Yorkshire club. Since joining from Wednesday night’s opponents, he has scored six Championship goals in total.
10. Crysencio Summerville
Farke’s decision with this XI is arguably the simplest. Crysencio Summerville scored his seventh league goal of the season with a superb curled effort into the bottom corner in the draw with Rotherham and can provide a huge attacking threat on the left flank.
11. Georgino Rutter
Georgino Rutter, a huge attacking threat, should continue to lead the line after his sixth assist of the season against the Millers. So far this season, he has created 15 ‘big chances’ for his teammates in 15 Championship appearances.
This demonstrates that the French magician has been a consistent source of creativity for Leeds in the number nine position, as the 21-year-old gem has the ability to regularly split open opposition defences.
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