Leeds United have just over one week to prepare for the visit of Sheffield United next Friday, although a handful of their first-team regulars will be in action twice before then. Six starters from last weekend’s 2-2 draw at Sunderland have flown off for international duty, along with some of the younger prospects, and Daniel Farke will be desperate to welcome them all back unscathed.
That number would have been much higher were it not for a raft of serious injuries to the likes of Ethan Ampadu, Ilia Gruev and Max Wober, although Farke will hope to welcome one or two back for next week’s massive Yorkshire derby at Elland Road. And as preparations continue at Thorp Arch, the YEP has rounded up some of the latest stories surrounding the club.
Sunderland admission
Former Sunderland forward Marco Gabbiadini believes Leeds’ strength in depth was evident at the Stadium of Light and will likely give them an advantage in the Championship promotion race. Farke’s side were without five first-team players for the clash but still managed to put out a top side who arguably deserved all three points against the table-topping Black Cats.
“The depth they’ve got,” Gabbiadini told Total Sport. “Where last season [Wilfried] Gnonto didn’t start a huge number of games because they had so much talent ahead of him, but when that talent goes they’ve got people like him to step up.
“That’s what you’re getting with Leeds United and probably if they were challenging halfway through the season and they needed some gaps filling, they’d probably have the money to invest then as well. There is a fragility about this group [Sunderland], and it’s not a criticism of anybody, it’s just the strength in depth of so many teams in this league, and how long the season is.”
Bamford on promotion
Patrick Bamford expects another hugely competitive Championship promotion race, with the likelihood more teams will be vying for those top-two spots than last season. Leeds were one of four realistic automatic promotion contenders last term, with the trio who eventually went up – Leicester City, Ipswich Town and Southampton – their main rivals.
And while the level right at the top isn’t as high, there could feasibly be five or six with hopes of going up automatically as the likes of Sunderland and West Brom join recently relegated Sheffield United and Burnley. It’s set to be another long and tense promotion push but Bamford hopes Leeds can get over the line at the second time of asking.
“I think it’s going to be another close league again,” Bamford told the BBC’s 72+ EFL podcast. “If anything, this year could even be a bit harder than last year because there’s probably five or six teams who could go for the top two positions. Hopefully we are one of them.”
