Wednesday 20th September 7:45pm | MKM Stadium
Fresh from their victory at Millwall, Leeds find themselves back on the road, but a lot closer to home, as they travel to Yorkshire rivals Hull City. Liam Rosenior's team are unbeaten in five league matches, including a one-nil win at Leicester City earlier this month. They are two points and five places above Leeds and have had the luxury of a day and a half more to prepare for this feisty fixture. The last time these two teams went into battle, was during Bielsa's Championship winning campaign, with West Yorkshire's finest coming out easy victors by six goals to nil over both legs.
Ahead of the game Farke shed light on the challenges posed by Hull City's style of play, emphasizing the need for his team to be defensively strong while showcasing their quality with the ball. He praised the work of Hull City's manager, Liam Rosenior, and acknowledged that this away game would be distinct from their previous encounter with Millwall. Farke's strategic insights revealed his meticulous approach to analyzing opponents and adapting his team's tactics accordingly.
Farke also provided injury updates on key players. Sam Byram returned to action earlier than expected against Millwall, and with Junior Firpo only just returned to the grass, he should keep his place in the Yorkshire derby. Dan James is pushing for a starting slot after impressing during his cameo role at the weekend. There was at last positive news about Patrick Bamford, who had rejoined team training after an eight-week absence. Farke, however, cautioned against rushing Bamford back into the lineup. Liam Cooper, Patrick Bamford and Stuart Dallas remain long term casualties. New loan signing Djed Spence is expected to be out of action for up to eight weeks following a knee injury he picked up in training.
Farke highlighted the competition within the squad, suggesting that despite the quality and depth, he was not inclined to make excessive rotations, particularly in light of the players' recent international commitments and a hectic schedule. Ethan Ampadu got a knock against Millwall but improved a lot in the last 24 hours and should start.
Hull City hope to welcome back midfielder Ozan Tufan. The Turkish International has been struggling with a thigh injury that has kept him sidelined for the whole of September. Left back James Furlong faces a race against time to be fit for Wednesday after overcoming a knock in training.
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