Leeds early team news v Portsmouth – Major new headache for Farke
Leeds United manager Daniel Farke has been dealt yet another injury blow ahead of the clash against Portsmouth on Sunday.
The Whites are set to travel to Fratton Park on 9 March with a view to making it five unbeaten in all competitions.
Last time out at Elland Road, West Brom took a point to put an end to the winning run in LS11 but Farke will be keen to get that back on track on the south coast.
The German will have to do so without one of his key men after the latest injury blow that has emerged in West Yorkshire ahead of the away trip.
Mateo Joseph assessed ahead of Portsmouth trip
It is fair to say that Leeds have been dealt with their fair share of injury concerns in recent weeks but haven’t let it impact them.
This is thanks to the depth in the squad at Elland Road which has allowed them to continue pushing forward towards the Premier League.
With that being said, the clash at Fratton Park may prove to be difficult without Patrick Bamford and Joseph in forward areas.
Portsmouth News reported on 5 March that the one cap England international is in an ongoing battle with a hamstring injury and looks set to be absent.
His Spanish counterpart is said to be giving Farke his “biggest headache” ahead of the clash against Pompey after rolling his ankle against the Baggies last time out.
The Whites staff are “constantly” assessing the fitness of the 21-year-old to see if he is ready to feature against John Mousinho’s side.
Leeds United can cope without Joseph
Heading into the season, there was hope that the former Espanyol youngster would go on to be the regular starting striker in LS11 for the campaign.
That hasn’t proved to be the case as Joel Piroe has gone on to take the youngster’s role in the starting 11 on a weekly basis.
Although this proved to be a bold decision, the Dutchman’s impact has been shown throughout the year, none more so than his excellent strike against Sheffield United.
| Mateo Joseph | Joel Piroe | |
| Goals | 3 | 15 |
| Assists | 3 | 6 |
As a result, having the 25-year-old fit and available at Fratton Park will be important but he would likely be a bigger miss than the Spaniard.
It will certainly be interesting to see if the young forward can return in trip for the trip to the coast or whether he will join Bamford on the sidelines.