Farke axes Dan James in shock move – Leeds United predicted XI v QPR
Daniel James could be the man axed when Leeds United face Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road on Saturday.
Leeds are back on top of the Championship table after their 2-0 victory over Millwall on Wednesday; Ao Tanaka sealing the victory late on after Jake Cooper’s own goal had given the Whites an early lead.
As a result, Daniel Farke’s side have re-established themselves as top dogs in the automatic promotion race, with a two-point cushion to Sheffield United and four clear of third-placed Burnley in the play-offs.
With Saturday’s meeting at Loftus Road kicking off earlier than both Burnley and the Blades’ matches this coming weekend, Leeds now have the chance to re-establish a five-point gap at the summit.
Daniel James to be dropped for Leeds United v QPR
While Saturday’s early kick-off gives United an opportunity to seize the initiative, it also means a quicker turnaround from Wednesday’s match than their direct rivals, who both played on Tuesday, are getting.
| Position | Club | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | GD | Points |
| 1 | Leeds United | 37 | 23 | 10 | 4 | +51 | 79 |
| 2 | Sheffield United | 37 | 24 | 7 | 6 | +24 | 77 |
| 3 | Burnley | 37 | 20 | 15 | 2 | +39 | 75 |
| 4 | Sunderland | 37 | 19 | 12 | 6 | +21 | 69 |
Despite this, Farke is usually not a manager to make changes unless necessary, with his switch against Millwall – dropping Ilia Gruev – proving to be a shrewd decision after Joe Rothwell’s performance.
Leeds barely put a foot wrong against their rivals despite being profligate in front of goal, but one player whose standards did drop from their usual height was Daniel James, who failed to make a real impact.
Only substituted for Wilfried Gnonto in the 90th minute despite an ineffective display, James could be the player to drop out at Loftus Road if Farke is keen to make tweaks before the international break.
Wilfried Gnonto to be given green light for Leeds v QPR
Off all the players expected to be Leeds’ shining lights at the start of this season – particularly after the departure of Georginio Rutter in late August – Gnonto will have been near the top of many people’s lists.
However, after starting the season in top form with three goals and five assists between August and November, Gnonto has been on the periphery of late and is yet to start a Championship match in 2025.
Gnonto came into his own towards the back end of last season after displacing James in the side, and in order to recapture his best form, the Italian needs to be starting games regularly once again.
Jayden Bogle also underwhelmed against Millwall as he ran the risk of a two-match suspension, but as Farke made clear in his pre-match press conference, he won’t be dropping out of the side any time soon.
The rest of Farke’s XI picks itself at the moment, and while there’s an argument to suggest Brenden Aaronson is also due a rest, his snub for the coming international break will provide him with that instead.