The countdown is on to Leeds United’s mouth-watering Roses derby at home to Manchester United - and this is how we think the Whites will line up.
Just three days after the New Year’s Day evening trip to Liverpool, Daniel Farke’s Whites will take in their first home game of 2026 against the club’s fiercest rivals Manchester United in a 12.30pm kick-off at Elland Road.
Despite now having four big players out, Farke has plenty to consider following the displays of four men brought into the team for the Thursday night clash at Anfield.
Sebastiaan Bornauw, Ilia Gruev, Lukas Nmecha and in particularly man of the match James Justin all excelled as Farke’s men left the defending champions with a goalless draw, extending the team’s unbeaten run to six games.
Three days later, with captain Ethan Ampadu now suspended, we think more big changes will be in the offing against the Red Devils.
Featuring a star man’s return and big Elland Road full debut, this is the XI that we think Farke will send out against Ruben Amorim’s team.
7. CM: Ilia Gruev
Mr reliable and the only real defensive midfielder that Farke now has available with captain Ampadu banned and Longstaff still out. | Getty Images
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8. CM: Anton Stach
Another impressive summer signing and another player going from strength to strength of late who also appears a banker to start in centre-midfield. | Danny Lawson/PA Wire
9. CM: Ao Tanaka
Even with Ampadu suspended it's quite hard knowing just what Farke will do with his midfield and indeed overall shape as he might want to have another midfielder on the bench and/or start Brenden Aaronson but packing the midfield might be seen as key and if so then Tanaka pretty much picks himself as the third option. | Getty Images
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10. ST: Noah Okafor
Another hard call as Farke might want to keep Nmecha in the XI - or start Aaronson as the other attacker - but Okafor is having a good run of starts and seems well suited to starting in a 5-3-2. | Getty Images
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11. ST: Dominic Calvert-Lewin
It was shockwaves stuff as Calvert-Lewin dropped to the bench at Liverpool having scored in each of United's last six games but Farke's wish to give him a rest was understandable and the in-form striker is surely now a banker to come back into the team, just a case of who partners him and in what system. | Getty Images