Farke to axe key midfielder – Leeds United predicted XI v Coventry City
Daniel Farke could drop Joe Rothwell to welcome back a key player when Leeds United face Coventry City on Wednesday.
With Pascal Struijk returning to fitness in the huge 7-0 rout of Cardiff City on Saturday, the Dutchman could return to central defence alongside Joe Rodon as the Whites travel to Coventry on 5 February.
Ethan Ampadu is unlikely to be taken out of the side by Farke, so Rothwell could be the player hooked to push the Welshman into midfield alongside Ao Tanaka.
Mateo Joseph and Wilfried Gnonto both came off the bench to score second-half goals against Cardiff at Elland Road in Leeds’ biggest win for 53 years, but wholesale changes from Farke are unlikely.
Farke to bring back Pascal Struijk for Leeds United v Coventry
Although Cardiff hardly laid a glove on United as Farke’s side racked up goal after goal last Saturday, Struijk’s return to the backline following a hamstring problem is a huge boost for their prospects.
Farke had feared that Struijk’s issue could have ruled him out for months rather than days, but the Dutchman’s early return has given the Whites’ boss a welcome selection headache at the back.
Slotting Struijk into the backline with Illan Meslier, Rodon, Jayden Bogle and Junior Firpo – who keeps his place after a treble of assists against Cardiff – is a no-brainer but will force a re-shuffle further forward.
Both Rothwell and Tanaka excelled at the base of midfield, but if one of the pair is to drop out to accommodate Ampadu pushing up from defence, it’ll surely be Rothwell over the Japanese international.
Farke’s front four also picks itself at the moment despite Joseph, Gnonto and Largie Ramazani all chomping at the bit to start, with Dan James and Manor Solomon in particular both being undroppable.
Gnonto and Joseph will be waiting in the respective wings should Farke elect to give a rest to Brenden Aaronson or Joel Piroe, and given United’s failure to sign a striker on Deadline Day, he may be minded to.
However, that doesn’t seem likely given the Peacocks’ near-perfect run of form at the moment, and with the frontline firing on all cylinders, they’ll be keen to show Farke why no new signings were needed.
In other Leeds news, the Whites have made a “massive loss” on one player whose exit was confirmed in the last few days.
