Leeds United face Monaco in a pre-season friendly on Saturday afternoon in York with choices at Daniel Farke’s disposal so we tasked our club writer to name the XI he would pick
Some of the Leeds United players looking for minutes tomorrow will be into their 19th day of pre-season and surely beginning to feel the difference in their fitness. By contrast, the likes of Illan Meslier and Wilfried Gnonto will only be on day four, but if they are good to go, I would play them.
As uncertain as Meslier’s future may be, Leeds cannot afford to ostracise the Frenchman and stick him on the scrapheap ahead of time. With no credible links in the public domain, right now there is every chance the goalkeeper is still at Elland Road on September 2.
Until a new stopper is added to the United ranks, Meslier has to be treated as their number one with Daniel Farke bedding him into his system. Charlie Cresswell and Max Wober missed out on the Manchester United friendly, but they both featured behind closed doors at Barnsley last weekend.
They would be in my strongest current backline and starting on Saturday alongside Cody Drameh and Liam Cooper. Until a new left-back is brought in, it’s too obvious to shift Wober out there and accommodate the club captain inside him.
Until a new stopper is added to the United ranks, Meslier has to be treated as their number one with Daniel Farke bedding him into his system. Charlie Cresswell and Max Wober missed out on the Manchester United friendly, but they both featured behind closed doors at Barnsley last weekend.
They would be in my strongest current backline and starting on Saturday alongside Cody Drameh and Liam Cooper. Until a new left-back is brought in, it’s too obvious to shift Wober out there and accommodate the club captain inside him.
Ethan Ampadu would bring some welcome relief to the midfield ranks, where the cupboard is so bare when it comes to experience, given Tyler Adams continues to recover from injury. While the Wales international can play in defence too, midfield is crying out for his presence with the squad in its current state.
Archie Gray is always a temptation, but Darko Gyabi should have a go alongside Ampadu, for me. The 19-year-old is set for a breakthrough year if he can lay down a solid foundation under Farke this summer.
With no major sales to speak of, the front four is where Farke can have some more fun with his options. Georginio Rutter was seen as an inside forward in Farke’s job interview, but the more he sees of the Frenchman, the more he is tempted by him as a striker.
Archie Gray is always a temptation, but Darko Gyabi should have a go alongside Ampadu, for me. The 19-year-old is set for a breakthrough year if he can lay down a solid foundation under Farke this summer.
With no major sales to speak of, the front four is where Farke can have some more fun with his options. Georginio Rutter was seen as an inside forward in Farke’s job interview, but the more he sees of the Frenchman, the more he is tempted by him as a striker.
