Derby County vs Leeds postponement latest as amber Met Office warning now in place
Daniel Farke will be looking for a repeat of the last time Leeds United faced Derby County in Sunday’s FA Cup clash.
Leeds will travel to Pride Park Stadium to face off with Derby in the FA Cup third round this weekend, as the German head coach is expected to rotate his side.
Brenden Aaronson scored a late winner at Derby the last time the Whites played the Rams, in a 1-0 Championship victory that sent Leeds top of the division back in December of 2024.
The Whites’ seven-game unbeaten run recently came to a crushing end when Newcastle snatched a last-minute winner against Leeds in an enthralling Premier League showdown.
Farke will be looking for his side to instantly bounce back, but he and John Eustace may be concerned by potential weather disruptions.
Derbyshire weather warning on Friday may worry
The FA Cup may be the least of Farke’s worries as Leeds need key players fit for Premier League survival, and so a loss wouldn’t be too damaging.
The 49-year-old head coach has the opportunity to play some youngsters like Alfie Cresswell, Rhys Chadwick and others, while Derby will look to harness the magic of the FA Cup for victory.
- Leeds were beaten 2-0 by Millwall in the fourth round of the FA Cup last year
- Derby lost to Leyton Orient in the third round on penalties
- The Rams have won just once in their last five games
According to an update from the Met Office on Friday, Derbyshire is covered with an amber warning.
There is partially thawed snow refreezing in parts of Derbyshire, with freezing fog and showers. The weather will bring the risk of ice overnight into Saturday, and potentially on matchday.
This will come as a concern to either side, particularly when considering that multiple Championship grounds have had games abandoned on short notice due to poor pitch conditions.
However, there is no current warning for Sunday, and as things stand, the game should be okay to go ahead – but things can change and supporters are advised to check for regular updates.
Harry Gray destined for Leeds start vs Derby
Harry Gray was recently awarded a new Leeds contract after his sizzling performances in the Under-21s youth setup.
The brother of Archie Gray is showing the potential to be a future goal machine for Farke, with murmurs of Manchester City’s interest speculating in the past couple of weeks.
| Games | Goals |
| 6 | 5 |
However, the Whites won’t have to worry about their star youngster leaving just yet, with him tied down to LS11 until his 18th birthday, when Leeds can award him another new deal.
There has never been a better chance for Gray to start, who could be accompanied by other strong squad players that Leeds have in their ranks.