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Leeds United return to Elland Road this weekend with a massive game against West Ham on Friday night. Daniel Farke’s side will be desperate to get three points on the board following their disappointing 2-0 defeat at Burnley last time out, with their visitors struggling down in 19th.
Speaking in his pre-game press conference on Thursday, Farke revealed a bout of illness had hit the squad with first-team regulars Ethan Ampadu and Pascal Struijk missing training on Wednesday. Injured pair Willy Gnonto and Noah Okafor are also doubts for Friday, although the latter is deemed more likely to feature given his layoff was shorter.
There are key selection decisions to make across the board going into Friday, with Farke admitting switches are possible after a couple of defeats. And with that in mind, the YEP has attempted to predict how the German could line-up against West Ham.
7. CM: Ethan Ampadu
A little off it at Burnley and his failure to close down Loum Tchaouna did not look good on replay. Been excellent up until that point, however, and his big tackles have been great at ramping up the Elland Road atmosphere. Will hopefully recover from an illness which saw him miss training on Wednesday. | Nick Potts/PA Wire
8. CM: Anton Stach
Really struggled at Turf Moor. Lost Ugochukwu for Burnley's opener and failed to get any kind of foothold in the game, but Leeds fans know how influential he can be. Has hopefully shaken off finger and rib issues that Farke believes have factored in his drop of form. | Getty Images
9. CM: Ao Tanaka
Really got the best out of Anton Stach against Everton and the midfielder's technical quality was needed at Turf Moor. With Leeds likely to dominate possession, they need the Japan international's guile in order to avoid more creative frustration. | Getty Images
10. RW: Daniel James
Was fit enough for a substitute's appearance at Burnley and could start on Friday, with Brenden Aaronson struggling to create anything of note again. Just the desire to hit the touchline and get a cross in should be useful, given West Ham's defensive frailties. Photo: Jack Thomas
11. LW: Noah Okafor
A relatively positive update from Farke on Thursday hints Okafor could be available, and if he's fit to start that simply has to happen, given how important Friday looks already. He is the quality Leeds lacked at Burnley and should give West Ham's fragile defence a torrid evening. | Getty Images
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12. ST: Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Leeds are doing really well to keep Calvert-Lewin fit, and the 28-year-old's hold-up play has been excellent, but goals need to follow. Will have taken confidence from watching Brentford's Igor Thiago completely bully West Ham's centre-backs on Monday. | Getty Images