Credit: Imago

Declan Carr

Fri 22 May 2026 19:10, UK

Rhys Chadwick could be in line to make his Leeds United debut against West Ham on Sunday.

The Whites have an injury crisis in midfield, and that is set to continue against the Hammers on 24 May in the final game of the season.

Ilia Gruev, Sean Longstaff and Anton Stach are all out for the London Stadium contest, leaving Daniel Farke to plan for alternatives.

He could call on Chadwick after he namedropped him in his pre-match press conference, when citing his options for the spot.

Leeds fans would be excited to see a youngster brought into the first-team picture, but ideally, they would have their first-team players.

What has Farke said about West Ham vs Leeds

Leeds don’t have anything to play for in the clash, apart from potentially a little bit of extra prize money, but it could be a valuable learning experience for Chadwick.

Farke listed the 19-year-old, who is yet to make his first team debut, among his potential choices for the final midfield place in his team.

Speaking to the media, he said: “We have Ethan Ampadu, our player of the season, Ao Tanaka has played there.

“We have young players who can play in this central role.

“Rhys Chadwick can play in this spot, other players who are not in their prime position but perhaps can play a bit deeper, Brenden can play slightly deeper though he’s more likely to be further up the pitch, Joel Piroe has even played a bit deeper.”

Who is Leeds talent Chadwick?

Chadwick is a defensive midfielder who can also play as a centre-back, central midfielder or as a number one.

He has even featured on both wings and at centre forward, and that versatility could be a huge benefit for Farke’s side in the future if he calls upon him.

The youngster has captained the Under-21s three times, so he has the right mentality to step up to first-team level if he is needed.

He made 46 appearances for the Under-18s with six goals and five assists in those matches, but his form went up a notch when he went into the Under-21s.

At that level, he has featured 61 times, with 17 goals and 17 assists in those games, showing the kind of potential that should eventually earn a first-team call-up.

He could make his debut for the senior side this weekend, and will surely be a familiar face for Peacocks supporters in the coming years if he continues his development.

Hopefully, that will be sooner rather than later, as some homegrown talent is needed in the squad to keep the right identity.