Karl Darlow axed in five changes – Leeds United predicted XI vs Birmingham
Daniel Farke will make changes against Birmingham, but he must be wary of overcomplicating things.
Karl Darlow’s return to the Leeds starting 11 has brought very little success, though that says more about the goalkeeping situation at Elland Road as opposed to anything about him directly.
Illan Meslier almost cost the Whites promotion from the Championship last season, before being replaced by Lucas Perri, who was linked with a winter exit from Leeds after he was dropped for Darlow after a dreadful run of form.
When Leeds take on Birmingham in the FA Cup, Farke could hand another opportunity to Perri to find his form, and potentially showcase why they made the decision to bring him to the Premier League in the first place.
However, there are plenty more changes that could be expected this weekend, with Farke likely to pick a strong yet rotated starting 11.
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Attacking changes galore for Leeds United vs Birmingham
Even if he wanted to, Farke largely has his hands tied behind his back when it comes to picking his defensive lineup, with just one change expected in that regard.
Sebastian Bornauw drops out of the back three, with James Justin moving over from full-back to cover centreally, with Jayden Bogle then moving back into a more defensive wing-back role to compensate for an attacking change ahead of him.
Ilia Gruev has showcased why he starts over Ao Tanaka, but with the latter having shone in the Championship last season, it makes sense for him to start this game, alongside Ethan Ampadu, who has been one of Leeds’ best players this season.
Facundo Buonanotte’s wait for his first Leeds start could go on beyond the weekend, with Dan James and Willy Gnonto potentially set to be handed a starting role against Birmingham, with Farke likely to go with a much more attacking lineup.
And leading the line could well be Joel Piroe.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin missed the draw with Chelsea due to illness, and with Lukas Nmecha having started in his absence, it would afford Piroe the full 90 minutes against the level of side he found it rather easy to score against last season.
Even with five changes, it remains a very strong lineup, and Farke must take note of that to avoid a similar fate to plenty of Premier League clubs already this season.
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Leeds United must avoid common FA Cup trap
Survival is the goal for Leeds this season, and anything beyond that would just be added success.
However, with 12 games to go and a six-point cushion on the bottom three, the Whites do have some breathing space to have a real go at a cup run this season.
Farke must walk a tight line between rotating players where needed to keep them fresh for the Premier League encounters approaching, while also naming a starting 11 strong enough to see off a side like Birmingham.
With changes including the likes of Gnonto and James, that would tick both criteria, and certainly aid their chance of survival by getting them up to match fitness, having played very little football so far this year.
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