AliousDaniel Farke faces the crucial task of selecting his most important Leeds United starting lineup to date for Sunday’s Championship play-off final against Southampton at Wembley. This match presents an opportunity for Farke to secure his third promotion from the Championship in his managerial career.
Following the resounding 4-0 victory over Norwich City in the semi-final second leg, Farke is unlikely to make significant changes to his starting XI. However, they face a Southampton side that was the only team to defeat Leeds twice in the regular season.
Unfortunately, Leeds will be without the services of striker Patrick Bamford once again, but they could welcome the return of Sam Byram to the squad after his injury.
With this in mind, here is the predicted lineup for Leeds’ first Wembley appearance since 2008:
Goalkeeper: Illan Meslier, who made a “world-class” save against Norwich, retains his place in goal and has been preparing for potential penalties this week.
Defense: Archie Gray is expected to start at right-back after an impressive performance against Norwich. Joe Rodon and Ethan Ampadu will likely form the center-back pairing, with Junior Firpo at left-back, despite a difficult outing against Southampton on the final day.
Midfield: Ilia Gruev, who scored Leeds’ first midfield goal in the Championship this season, will partner with Glen Kamara, whose ball retention skills will be crucial against Southampton’s possession-based style.
Attack: With Leeds likely to see less possession at Wembley, the pace of Georginio Rutter, Willy Gnonto, and Crysencio Summerville will be vital for counter-attacking opportunities, as they are expected to start ahead of Dan James. Joel Piroe, who scored Leeds’ only goal against Southampton on the final day, will lead the line in Bamford’s absence.
Predicted XI: Meslier; Gray, Rodon, Ampadu, Firpo; Gruev, Kamara; Gnonto, Rutter, Summerville; Piroe.
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