Leeds United: Daniel Farke issues Sam Byram update as Junior Firpo may miss Stoke City
Sam Byram has been in Leeds United team training for around 10 days and is ready to be involved in the side after four games out with Junior Firpo a doubt for Stoke, according to Daniel Farke.
The Whites boss said in his pre-match press conference on 4 March that the defender who spent most of the season as the starter at left-back could be called upon with the man who has taken his place of late having picked up a calf issue which will mean he faces a late fitness test.
Farke said it had been a bruising encounter in the draw vs Huddersfield but was not overly unhappy with a point.
Firpo, 27, spent the opening months of the season out and has regularly been hit by injury set-backs since arriving from Barcelona, but has started the past 10 Championship fixtures.
Sam Byram can feature as Junior Firpo faces late Leeds United fitness test
On the plus side for Farke it is a very short space of time to wait before he can get his players to bounce back from dropping two valuable points at the weekend.
The draw doesn’t have to derail an outstanding start to 2024, with a dip surely expected to arrive at some point, but the German will obviously need a response.
A home game against a team struggling near the bottom of the Championship is, at least on paper, the ideal opportunity to get back to winning ways.
Farke may have hoped to face a side that would be more inclined to push forward and play, but either way he will surely expect three points from this one.
He has utilised his squad far more in recent months than he did during the first half of the campaign, with the likes of Patrick Bamford, Willy Gnonto, Firpo and Ilia Gruev all coming in to make important contributions.
And with such a quick turnaround it would be no surprise to see some rotation from the weekend draw at Elland Road.
In other Leeds United news, one Whites youngster has been ruled out for months after suffering a major injury blow in his first run of senior football.
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