Archie Gray could be set for surprise Leeds United axe v Swansea City
By Amos Murphy
Leeds United head to Swansea City on Tuesday 13 February for a crucial clash in the Championship promotion race, but there could be a surprise omission from their starting XI.
Daniel Farke’s side have established themselves in the playoff positions and now have their eyes on sneaking into the automatic promotion spots.
The Whites currently sit one point behind second-placed Southampton, who are also in action on Tuesday night.
But after Saturday’s 3-0 demolition of Yorkshire rivals Rotherham United, Farke has some selection headaches leading into tonight’s clash.
One of them surrounds Archie Gray, who has been a revelation for Leeds this season and was previously dubbed “unbelievable” by EFL expert Ali Maxwell.
Gray has featured in 29 of Leeds’ 31 league outings so far this season, with 27 of those appearances having come in the starting 11, indicating that despite his tender age, he’s very much a fully-fledged member of the senior side.
Farke hasn’t been afraid to use the teenager during Leeds’ return to the Championship, with Gray primarily being deployed as a right-back in the Whites’ system.
However, with the fixtures beginning to pile up for the Elland Road outfit, the meeting with Swansea could prove the perfect time to rotate Gray out of the side.
Leeds United transfer ideal candidate for rotation
Luckily for Leeds, January signing Connor Roberts is the perfect replacement, with the Welshman boasting plenty of experience in the Championship.
Just last season he was part of the Burnley side that waltzed their way to a 101-point title win, with Roberts a key cog in Vincent Kompany’s side.
Featuring in all but three of Burnley’s 46 league fixtures, the full-back has been there and done it in the second tier, having played over 170 matches in the Championship during his career.
Roberts’ only appearance since arriving on loan from Burnley came in the weekend win against Rotherham, where the 28-year-old was rewarded with a 15-minute cameo off the bench.
But given how much football Gray has played so far this season, there is every chance Farke will look to utilise new signing Roberts to keep the teenager fit and fighting for the decisive matches later on in the campaign.
In other Leeds United news, Phil Hay believes a star Whites ace has already played his last game for the club.
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