Leeds United: Daniel Farke should trust Sam Byram to step in for Junior Firpo against Watford
Leeds United boss Daniel Farke should hand Sam Byram a start against Watford ahead of regular left-back Junior Firpo.
Firpo played 87 minutes of the Dominican Republic’s 4-1 defeat in Peru on 27 March and only returned to Leeds the following day, significantly limiting his recovery time.
Farke may be wary of risking an important member of his squad ahead of the run-in, as the Whites look to secure automatic promotion back to the Premier League after just one season back in the Championship.
Sam Byram has already demonstrated his class for Leeds United
Farke is unlikely to harbour many concerns about throwing Byram in from the start, given the Englishman began the campaign as first-choice, starting the majority of games before the turn of the year.
However, he has been managed carefully since being forced off early in the 3-0 win over Birmingham City on New Year’s Day, starting just one of the subsequent 12 Championship fixtures – a 1-0 win over Stoke City.
Firpo has been the main beneficiary, starting each of the other 11 league outings since replacing Byram against the Blues at Elland Road and registering all five of his assists this season in that spell, including two off the bench against Birmingham.
Both players offer a direct threat as Leeds look to overwhelm opponents, frequently occupying advanced, dangerous positions. There is an almost imperceptible drop-off between Firpo’s 3.34 attacking penalty area touches per 90 in the Championship and Byram’s average of 3.16, according to FBref.
Resting Firpo and handing game-time to a deserving Byram for the trip to Watford certainly seems a smart move for Farke to make.
In other Leeds United news, Archie Gray has sent a message of support to an injured teammate.
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