It was a comfortable run in the park for Leeds United on Saturday as they cruised to an easy 2-0 win over Derby County at Elland Road, but there was one source of frustration for Daniel Farke.
The Leeds boss will have been delighted to be able to name Ethan Ampadu on the bench again as the skipper returned from his long-term knee injury in September to be named as a sub, ahead of schedule.
Largie Ramazani is also back and Patrick Bamford continues to keep injury aside at the moment. Sam Byram is nursing a muscle issue, but the versatile defender is expected to return sooner rather than later.
But after an eleventh win in 19 Championship games and an eleventh clean sheet, there will have only been one disappointing element from Saturday and it was the injury sustained by left-back Junior Firpo.
Junior Firpo gives injury update following Leeds win over Derby
Daniel Farke did say that Firpo had picked up a knock before the game, in training. Just after 20 minutes, The Dominican Republic international was forced off the field and was replaced by defender Max Wober.
The Austria star came off the bench to score for Leeds but of course, he is a centre-back before he is a left-back and when Firpo is fit, there is no doubting the former Barcelona star will start for The Whites.
After going off, Firpo posted on X: “100 appearances with this great club, not the best way to celebrate it coming off with an injury but will be back soon and stronger. We keep marching on together.”
Who starts for Leeds when Middlesbrough come to Elland Road?
Having had a week between the loss at Blackburn to the win over Derby, Leeds are in action in just three days when The Whites take on Michael Carrick and Luke Ayling’s Middlesbrough on Tuesday night.
A Boro side that have already come to Elland Road and won, beating Leeds 3-0 in the Cup. So, Leeds will want revenge and given Boro are one of the best sides in the league, Leeds will have to be at their best.
If Byram was missing on Saturday the chances are the right-footed defender will be missing on Tuesday night, too. Isaac Schmidt is yet to win Farke’s trust from the off, so it is likely that Wober will now start.
It will see Wober start his first league game for Leeds in 18 months, having not started for Leeds in the league since the 4-1 loss to Tottenham on the day The Whites were relegated from the Premier League.
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