Aston Villa's hopes of qualifying for next season's Champions League suffered a significant blow on Sunday as they lost 2-1 to Manchester United at Villa Park. Douglas Luiz had cancelled out Rasmus Hojlund's opener, but Scott McTominay came on to score the winner for the visitors late on.
Villa have now dropped to fifth after failing to respond to Tottenham's dramatic 2-1 victory over Brighton on Saturday. That may still be enough to make it into the Champions League, but United have closed the gap to five points with their second win against the Villans in the space of seven weeks.
In general, Unai Emery's side are stuttering at the moment – either side of a resounding 5-0 win over a seemingly doomed Sheffield United, they suffered home defeats to Newcastle in the Premier League and Chelsea in the FA Cup. They hadn't lost a league game in front of their own fans since February before this recent stretch.
Rank
Team
P
W
D
L
GD
PTS
1
Manchester City
6
6
0
0
11
18
2
Liverpool
7
5
1
1
11
16
3
Spurs
7
4
2
1
3
14
4
Arsenal
7
4
1
2
11
13
5
Man Utd
7
4
1
2
3
13
6
Aston Villa
7
2
2
2
2
8
And in another devastating blow, it emerged after Sunday's game that Boubacar Kamara, who came off in the second half, has suffered a "significant knee ligament injury". Kamara will see a specialist for a full prognosis, but a long-term lay-off seems inevitable.
Villa injury luck has become a "joke"
Quoting an earlier tweet about Villa's misfortune, Sky Sports presenter and Villa fan Dan Bardell said the situation had become a "joke" following the news of Kamara's injury.
Ball-winner Kamara joins Buendia and Mings
You can certainly see why Bardell is so frustrated. Kamara is actually the third Villa player to go down with a long-term knee problem this season after Emiliano Buendia and Tyrone Mings, neither of whom have played since the opening day of the Premier League season.
Kamara's absence in particular will sting because he's been a crucial player for Emery this season. While he's been suspended for four matches (once for an accumulation of yellow cards and once for a straight red against Brentford), he's started every single game for which he's been available.
Emery could now drop £70k-p/w Aston Villa star after Man Utd defeat
There were a couple of Villa players who failed to shine against Man Utd
ByRoss Kilvington Feb 13, 2024
The 2022 acqusition from Marseille has been a vital ball-winning presence at the base of the midfield, winning more tackles (2.2) per game and notching more interceptions per game (1.1) than anybody else in the squad. It remains to be seen who replaces him in the side, but Youri Tielemans looks the most likely candidate.
Italy star Federico Chiesa has admitted it was hard to hear manager Luciano Spalletti's instructions during their Euro 2024 win over Albania.
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Italy start Euro 2024 with Albania win
Game played at a noisy Westfalenstadion
Chiesa unable to hear Spalletti on the touchline
Getty Images
WHAT HAPPENED?
The Azzurri came from behind to beat Albania 2-1 in their opening game of Euro 2024 on Saturday. Italy were stunned when Nedim Bajrami put Albania ahead in the first minute, scoring the fastest ever goal in European Championship history, but the defending champions hit back with goals from Alesssandro Bastoni and Nicolo Barella to secure the win.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
The game was played at a very noisy Signal Iduna Park which saw Albania fans outnumber their hosts and provide a vibrant atmosphere. Chiesea admitted that the noise at the stadium made it difficult for Italy fans to hear what their coach was trying to tell them during the match.
WHAT CHIESA SAID
He told reporters: "He wants to see consistency in terms of play and movement. He wants to dominate proceedings and that’s what he’s been telling us ever since he came to Coverciano last September. That’s what we tried to show on the pitch. He gave us this advice, but hearing him on the other side of the pitch was quite hard. There was a wonderful atmosphere, it was fabulous. Even if the Italians were outnumbered it was a magnificent experience."
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WHAT NEXT FOR ITALY
Italy have made a strong start to the defence of their title but now face crunch games against Spain and Croatia in Group B. La Roja are up next and head into the match after an impressive 3-0 win over Croatia which should make for a fascinating game between the two sides at the Veltins-Arena on Thursday.
É oficial: Salomon Kalou não é mais jogador do Botafogo. A rescisão do atacante saiu no Boletim Informativo Diário (BID) da CBF, no começo da tarde desta quinta-feira. Com um dos contratos mais altos do elenco e um baixo rendimento dentro de campo, o marfinense não estava nos planos da diretoria, que iniciou a negociação para rescindir o contrato ainda em fevereiro.
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>Rhuan e mais cinco: Botafogo dá férias a jogadores que estão fora dos planos
No dia 11 de março, a reportagem do LANCE! revelou que, inicialmente,as conversas tinham avançado para um final positivo, mas a resposta feita pelo advogado do camisa 8 não foi boa. No entanto, após essa estagnada, a negociação andou e teve um desfecho oficial nesta sexta-feira.
O marfinense tinha contrato até dezembro deste ano com o Botafogo. Kalou, que conquistou a Liga dos Campeões Chelsea-ING em 2012, soma passagens por outros clubes europeus, como oFeyenoord-HOL, Lillie-FRA e o Herta Berlim-ALE.
Apesar de ter chegado com altas expectativas, ele não conseguiu corresponder à altura dentro de campo. No total, foram 21 partidas disputadas e apenas um gol marcado, terminando a temporada como reserva.
ECB chief executive pledges to double number of state schools playing cricket within five years, and hopes to seize post-World Cup opportunity to grow the game
ESPNcricinfo staff01-Aug-2019Tom Harrison, the ECB chief executive, has said that the absence of cricket from state schools is “nowhere near good enough” as the governing body looks to capitalise on the “inspirational moment that can spark that interest in the game” provided by the World Cup final.Speaking to Sky during the first Ashes Test, Harrison pledged to double the number of state schools playing cricket in the next five years, and said the sport needed to shed its “tag of privilege” in the UK.”We’ve got an outstanding partnership with Chance to Shine, which enables us to reach around 22% of state schools in this country at the moment,” Harrison said, “[but] that is nowhere near good enough for us. We need to double that over the next five years at least, and make sure that we’re reaching out to girls and boys.”There are sports that do it very well… that we’re talking to now to enable us to get that scale and that reach across schools, and make sure we give kids the opportunity.”Harrison also claimed that cricket was competing “with everything” – including console games such as Fortnite – for young people’s attention.”It’s all a big challenge trying to capture kids’ imaginations and young people’s imaginations,” he said. “We are competing with everything. We’ve had a lot of news about Fortnite recently in the news – that’s the kind of competitive landscape that we’re in.”We’ve got a plan – it’s called ‘Inspiring Generations’. We launched it at the start of the year, [and] it’s literally kicking off right now using the Ashes and the World Cup as a platform for growing the game.”It’s all about transforming the women’s and girls’ game in this country, and looking again at our schools strategy, because we’re not comfortable about where we’re at with schools in this country.”Harrison praised the make-up of the crowds at the World Cup, and said that cricket needs to eschew its reputation as an elitist sport.”Cricket is a wonderful game that somehow carries around this tag of privilege in this country,” he said. “It’s something we need to shed and get away from as quickly as possible, and that’s what we’re doing.”Our country is changing, and so the game needs to change, as we’ve proved over decades that it can do. One of the great things about this World Cup is that we were filling grounds with vibrant, colourful, diverse crowds – noisy, amazing crowds that we want coming back to our grounds as often as possible.”Harrison claimed that cricket had already enjoyed a post-World Cup bounce, highlighting strong sales in Vitality Blast tickets, and claimed that the ECB had seen “people writing in and saying ‘my family have never really looked at cricket as being an option’, and suddenly it’s something that their kids are talking about, they want to play, they want to be part of”.Despite their apparent marginalisation to open up a window for The Hundred from next year, he said that the ECB have “got to put our counties at the heart of the challenge to grow the game in this country”, and to ensure “that our county clubs are filling grounds across the country more regularly and for more formats of the game”.He also highlighted the role of the ECB’s South Asian community programme, and said England “have got an incredibly diverse team that won the World Cup and that’s playing in this Ashes Test right now” – despite the fact that ten of the side for the Edgbaston Test are white British and six were privately educated.
Alexi Lalas has warned the USMNT's players it's time to "put up or shut up" as they prepare to go for glory on home soil at the Copa America.
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USMNT hosting 2024 Copa America Stars and Stripes boast quality squadLalas says it's time for players to performWHAT HAPPENED?
Lalas is never shy of giving his opinion and has sent out a clear warning to the United States ahead of the 2024 Copa America. The former USMNT star believes it's time for the Stars and Stripes to deliver on the pitch and feels there can be no excuses from the players or fingers pointed at the coaching staff if they come up short.
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The USMNT has struggled against top opposition but now boast a squad packed full of talented players plying their trade across Europe in the shape of stars such as Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Gio Reyna, Folarin Balogun and Tim Weah. The Copa America presents Gregg Berhalter's team with an excellent opportunity to see how they are shaping up against quality opposition ahead of co-hosting the 2026 World Cup. Yet the team head into the tournament after two very mixed results. The USMNT were embarrassed in a 5-1 defeat to Colombia but then turned in an encouraging display in a 1-1 draw with Brazil.
WHAT LALAS SAID
He told : "We’re letting the players off the hook a bit when we constantly talk about the coach. They have been given every benefit, every resource. Nothing has been spared from an early age. It is fair for us to expect more out of them individually and collectively. They’re no longer teenagers. Some of them play for the best teams and in the best leagues in the world. It’s time to put up or shut up.
“We put a lot of emphasis on coaching — and I’m not saying they can’t have an effect — but this is a players’ game. When that whistle blows, you get to decide what happens and the onus is on you. And if you want it, that’s great. If you don’t, then don’t blame the coach.”
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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR THE USMNT
Berhalter's team kick off their Copa America campaign on Saturday against Bolivia. The Stars and Stripes then go on to face Panama and Uruguay in the group stages.
Two-Test tour falls outside of World Test Championship, and therefore offers a chance to avoid player burn-our
George Dobell29-Jul-2019England may use the New Zealand tour later this year to rest players and coaching staff as they seek to reduce the dangers of “burn out”. That could raise the possibility that they may tour with an interim coach and a temporary replacement as Test captain.England are scheduled to play two Tests and five T20Is in New Zealand during a tour that starts in late October and ends in early December.But with those Tests not counting towards the World Test Championship and England also scheduled to undertake tours to South Africa – where they will play four Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is – and Sri Lanka – where they will play two Tests – during the winter of 2019-20, Ashley Giles has admitted there may be a temptation to rest the busiest players and coaches.”We’re not trying to lessen the importance of that series, but it’s not in the World Test Championship,” Giles, the managing director of England men’s cricket, said. “We’ve got a lot of cricket this winter and we need to be careful with some of the workloads. It isn’t part of the Test Championship so we’ll use that series as we see really.”The World Test Championship (WTC) is launched this week in the hope the added context will increase interest in the longest format of the game. But the series in New Zealand was arranged before the announcement of the WTC and results in it will not accrue points.Avoiding the burn-out of his players and coaches is likely to be an important feature of Giles’ role at the helm. He admits there is little he can do to change the schedule – financial realities necessitate an almost never-ending tour for England – but reasons that resting individuals can extend their careers.”We play more home cricket than anyone,” Giles said. “And while there may be some things you can do with the schedule, there are other pressures – money pressures, TV pressures – that make it a very tricky balance. We’ll probably have the same number of fixtures but more rotation of players.It was a tough day for Joe Root and his team•Getty Images
“That puts more focus how we care for players and make sure we don’t get any burn-out. We’ve got to be flexible with the players otherwise we’re going to lose them.”There was undoubtedly a hangover from the World Cup during the Ireland Test. After the emotional and physical strain of that seven weeks and particularly the final… I worried how we would pick the players up if we lost. Fortunately we didn’t, but heading into a Test match against Ireland a week later was difficult for them.”England could also go to New Zealand with an interim coach. While Giles admits he has had “some very relaxed conversations over a coffee or the phone” with prospective candidates, he has been keen not to overshadow the World Cup or Ashes preparations with speculation about the new head coach so has delayed a formal beginning of the process.”It might be a caretaker coach, yes,” Giles said. “I’ve always said if you looked at the World Cup and the Ashes it was far more important for me to have some stability now and less noise and chatter around the new head coach than worrying about someone going in who’s babysitting the New Zealand tour. I’d rather that than everything going on now.”That caretaker will not be Bayliss, who has already booked his flight home. “I think Trev’s done and I mean that in the nicest possible way,” Giles said. “He may always seem relaxed on the outside but he cares a lot and he’s had some sleepless nights through this summer. He’s a good guy and I think he’s done it the right way. He’s set himself a goal of getting to the end of this Ashes and then letting someone else take over.”One man who could be rested from the Test side is the captain, Joe Root. Root’s appetite for the game – and, in particular, his desire to re-establish himself as a T20 player – have rendered him hard to leave out and he has played every game (expect one World Cup warm-up match) this year.And assuming he is not another player in line for a rest, that would mean that Ben Stokes, who has been reappointed as the side’s vice-captain, could lead the team in the nation in which he was born.That would sustain an impressive comeback for Stokes, who missed the previous Ashes series after the ECB decided he should not be selected ahead of his trial for affray. He was subsequently found not guilty and capped a successful return to the side by being named player of the match in the World Cup final.”I take pride in being vice-captain,” Stokes said. “I love having that responsibility and it is something that I thoroughly enjoy doing. Being part of that think-tank is pretty cool. Playing in an Ashes series is always special and they don’t come around that often.”I am very good friends with Joe as well, off the field, and as much as I can do to help him through his career, not just as a captain but as a player as well, I am really looking forward to that challenge. Being named vice-captain again was very good words to hear when I got the call.”
QPR are reportedly in the race to complete the signing of a Premier League player on deadline day, but face stiff competition for his signature from a number of other clubs.
QPR transfer news
The Rs find themselves in the thick of a Championship relegation battle this season, currently sitting 22nd in the table and in the bottom-three. They are three points adrift of safety, with Huddersfield Town hovering above them, and some late signings in the January transfer window could be just what the doctor ordered.
Marti Cifuentes will no doubt be desperate to acquire the services of some new faces, and QPR have been linked with a move for Fulham striker Rodrigo Muniz in the recent past, but a move hasn't come to fruition yet. Similarly, Blackpool winger CJ Hamilton has been considered a target for the west Londoners, but like Muniz, he has remained at his current club for the time being.
It does look as though QPR could still strike some last-gasp January transfer business, however, with a fresh update suggesting a race is on to snap up one in-demand player before Thursday comes to an end.
QPR want Allan Campbell
According to a new update from Football Insider, QPR are interested in signing Luton Town midfielder Allan Campbell on deadline day, but several other British clubs are also keen.
Appearances
12
Starts
9
Goals
0
Assists
2
Tackles per game
1.7
Pass completion rate
82.1%
Key passes per game
0.6
"Aberdeen, Birmingham, QPR and Rotherham are in a race to sign Luton Town midfielder Allan Campbell before the close of the transfer window, sources have told Football Insider. Campbell is currently out on loan with Championship side Millwall, meaning the Hatters would have to recall him before a new move can be sanctioned.
"It is believed the Championship strugglers and the Scottish side are keen on signing the midfielder and have registered their interest to Luton. The 25-year-old has made 12 appearances for the Lions this season but has not featured since their mid-December draw against Huddersfield Town."
Campbell could be a really shrewd addition by QPR this month, should they manage to fight off competition from others and seal his signature in the coming hours.
The 25-year-old has been on loan at Millwall from Premier League outfit Luton this season, making 12 appearances in the league, so it does mean the Hatters will have to end that spell, as the report alludes to. That may not be easy, should the Lions want to continue his loan until the end of the season, but it could be that QPR are seen as a more appealing prospect to Campbell, in terms of featuring more regularly in the coming months.
EFL Championship done deals: Every January 2024 transfer
As the January transfer window closes, FFC has you covered for every in and out involving your club in the EFL Championship.
ByLuke Randall Feb 1, 2024
It remains to be seen where he will be plying his trade moving forward, but bringing in a player with 87 Championship appearances and one Scotland cap to his name should bolster the Rs' hopes of survival.
Rangers fans have received some intriguing news on their hunt for a new striker before the January transfer deadline, courtesy of insider The 4th Official.
Rangers transfer updates
The Gers could still have a busy few days when it comes to transfers, with numerous players linked with sealing moves to Ibrox, and other current heroes backed to move on. Left-back has arguably emerged as the main area that Rangers are looking for reinforcements in, especially if Ridvan Yilmaz and Borna Barisic leave Ibrox in the near future. Flumimense defender Jefte is reportedly on the verge of completing a move to the Scottish Premiership giants, with his arrival set to be sealed sooner rather than later.
Away from the left-back situation, attacking players also continue to be linked with Rangers, with Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland a primary target for a while now, as he keeps shining for his current club. Oscar Cortes is another player who could be set to be confirmed as a Gers player in the coming days, as he edges closer to arriving on loan from Lens.
Rangers striker hunt continues
Replying to a Gers fan asking if they would sign a striker this month, insider The 4th Official claimed that Rangers are indeed working on a new forward signing before the end of the January transfer window: "They are definitely trying their best, I know that."
That's after an initial post that read: "Rangers South American contingent will include Oscar Cortes with an agreement in place. The final piece of the jigsaw is a striker."
Signing a new striker in January could ultimately be the difference-maker in the Scottish Premiership title race, with Celtic arguably possessing more firepower than Rangers currently. That is highlighted by the fact that they have scored 54 goals compared to their rivals' tally of 45 in the league so far this season, admittedly having played one game more.
Shankland stands out as the most exciting option for the Gers, with the Scot someone who could come straight in as Philippe Clement's leading striker, making an instant impression after already scoring 14 times in the competition this season. Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes is clearly a fan, recently saying of him:
"I spoke to him and his agent recently and he is going to have plenty of options come January, I have no doubt about that. He seems to have become a more complete player and is not just a finisher. It is good to see him doing well as it is with any of your younger ones who don’t quite breakthrough. He is a good example for what can be done."
Rangers could sign dream Shankland alternative before the deadline
Rangers must sign a new striker before the January transfer window closes
ByRoss Kilvington Jan 30, 2024
If Rangers can't get Shankland, assuming Hearts hold firm, they must look elsewhere for a target between now and the end of deadline day, as they look to give themselves the best chance of going all the way this season.
West Bromwich Albion would have been the happier of the two sides come full-time at Portman Road, Carlos Corberan's Baggies battling to a 2-2 draw versus Ipswich Town despite the hosts dominating for large spells.
Scoring two goals from just two shots on target is a very impressive statistic from the away side's perspective, although lone striker Brandon Thomas-Asante couldn't quite get on the scoresheet himself.
A passive display from the West Brom number 21 saw Corberan haul off the striker on the 56th minute mark, only for his replacement in Daryl Dike to heartbreakingly pick up another serious-looking injury moments after being introduced.
This could well throw up a striker selection dilemma for the Spanish boss to resolve, with Thomas-Asante in real danger of being dropped for tonight's game with Cardiff City regardless of Dike re-entering the Hawthorns treatment room.
Thomas-Asante's performance vs Ipswich in numbers
Thomas-Asante will have been left frustrated with how his time on the pitch against the Tractor Boys played out, with his barren patch in front of goal in the Championship stretching tothree games in a row now after his torrid showing at Portman Road.
Only managing 17 touches of the ball in total in Suffolk, the 25-year-old was isolated up top on his own with zero shots managed on Václav Hladký's shaky goal.
Minutes played
56
Goals scored
0
Shots on goal
0
Touches
17
Passes managed
9/10
Duels won
3/7
With a number of below-par performances before this no-show at Portman Road further troubling his cemented first-team spot – failing to win a single duel against Birmingham the game prior to this Ipswich draw – the time could be right for Corberan to give a young January recruit an opportunity to impress against the Bluebirds tonight ahead of Thomas-Asante.
Thomas-Asante's replacement at West Brom
Yet to be given time to really to cut his teeth at West Brom – only given one 28-minute run-out so far against Birmingham – the Baggies boss could ruffle a fair few feathers by chucking West Ham United loanee Callum Marshall into his lineup.
Having one effort blocked in that brief cameo at the Hawthorns against Tony Mowbray's Blues, Marshall will hope he can find the back of the net against Cardiff if selected to show he can score goals for fun in men's football and not just in the comforts of youth action.
Bagging a remarkable 19 goals from just 16 games playing for the West Ham U21s just this season, everyone with connections to West Brom will hope Marshall won't flounder making the step-up transitioning to the intense demands of Championship football.
With Thomas-Asante passenger-like in the past couple of second-tier games, and Dike facing another lengthy spell on the sidelines again with a ruptured Achilles tendon, Marshall will need to seize his opportunity when it comes his way.
Described as being an "incredible" talent by football scout Antonio Mango when emerging as a breakout star for the Hammers at youth level, Marshall would no doubt endear himself to his new fanbase if he could bag his first-ever Baggies goal against Cardiff.
The teenager could well see Dike pulling up with yet another injury as one way he can begin to make waves in the Baggies first team, able to push Thomas-Asante all the way for a starting spot as a consequence.
Leeds United are back at Home Park for the second time in February as they travel away from Yorkshire again to take on Plymouth Argyle on Saturday.
The Whites face off against Ian Foster's team for the third time in 2024 but for the first time in the Championship since a 2-1 win over the newly-promoted outfit in November 2023.
After a 1-1 draw at Elland Road in January in the FA Cup, the two sides were forced to play a replay earlier this month and Leeds ran out 4-1 winners after extra time.
Since that match, Daniel Farke's men have won two Championship matches by an aggregate score of 7-0, against Rotherham United and Swansea.
Leeds smashed the Swans 4-0 in Wales on Tuesday night and the German head coach could make some alterations to the starting XI from that win as games come thick and fast.
With this in mind, here is FFC's predicted Whites line-up to take on Plymouth at Home Park once again this weekend…
1 Illan Meslier
Illan Meslier
Illan Meslier should keep his place between the sticks for Leeds as he has been Farke's number one choice throughout the 2023/24 campaign.
He made one save to keep a clean sheet against Swansea last time out and will be looking for another shutout in this clash with Plymouth.
2 Connor Roberts
Burnley right-back Connor Roberts.
The first change to the starting XI could come at right-back with Connor Roberts, who joined on loan Premier League side Burnley on deadline day, coming in for Archie Gray.
Archie Gray
Vs Swansea
Minutes played
77
Key passes
One
Assists
One
Duel success rate
100%
Sofascore rating
7.6
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the 17-year-old academy graduate produced an excellent performance in Wales with strong defending to win all of his duels and an assist to set up Wilfried Gnonto's first goal.
However, the busy fixture list could make dropping the teenage whiz to the bench to provide Roberts with an opportunity to impress a good decision.
It would provide Gray with a rest and allow the Wales international to build up his match fitness, so that he is not short of it in a future games if Farke needs him.
3 Joe Rodon
Leeds United's loan defender Joe Rodon.
Joe Rodon produced a sublime performance against his former club on Tuesday night, and you can read about his superb display in the FFC article below.
Leeds titan who won 100% duels was as good as Gnonto & Summerville v Swans
The former Swans star enjoyed a wonderful visit to his former club on Tuesday.
ByDan Emery Feb 14, 2024 4 Ethan Ampadu
Leeds midfielder Ethan Ampadu.
Another Wales international should line up at the heart of the defence alongside his fellow countryman – Ethan Ampadu. He has been a revelation at centre-back in 2024 after an enforced change due to an injury to Pascal Struijk.
The pairing have played seven matches at centre-back together and Leeds have won all seven and kept six clean sheets, with one goal conceded, in that time.
They have been imperious at the back and should, therefore, start once again to keep out the likes of Morgan Whittaker and Ryan Hardie on Saturday.
5 Junior Firpo
Leeds United defender Junior Firpo.
At left-back, Junior Firpo should keep his place in the starting XI after Sam Byram missed out on the matchday squad through injury on Tuesday.
The former Barcelona full-back has assisted four goals in 12 Championship appearances this season, and could provide a creative threat against Plymouth.
6 Ilia Gruev
Leeds midfielder Ilia Gruev.
Another player who should keep their place in the starting XI is former Werder Bremen central midfielder Ilia Gruev, who produced a fine display on Tuesday.
The impressive gem assisted Crysencio Summerville's opening goal on the night and completed 93% of his attempted passes in midfield for Leeds.
7 Glen Kamara
joe-rodon-glen-kamara-leeds-opinion
Farke should start Glen Kamara alongside Gruev once again as the superb partnership helped the Whites to control the match against Swansea.
The Finland international completed an eye-catching 96% of his attempted passes and created two chances for his teammates, which shows that both of the team's midfielders rarely gave the ball away with their passing.
8 Dan James
Dan James
The second and final change, in terms of personnel, to the XI could come on the right side of the attack with Dan James coming in to replace Georginio Rutter.
Of course, this is not a direct replacement as the French whiz is typically deployed in the number ten position, which was the case against Swansea.
Rutter did not have the best evening against the Swans as he failed to create a single chance for his teammates and did not find the back of the net from any of his four shot attempts, which came to an xG of 0.32.
James returned from injury to make an appearance off the bench against his former club and could, now, return to the starting XI this weekend.
The Wales international, who former boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer claimed has the "X-factor", has produced ten goals and six assists in 23 Championship starts this season, which shows that he has the quality to be a match-winner for the Whites.
9 Wilfried Gnonto
Leeds forward Wilfried Gnonto.
Rutter being boldly ditched for James would allow Gnonto to move into a central position, which would provide the versatile gem with more opportunities to make runs through the middle to threaten the opposition goal.
Last four appearances
Wilfried Gnonto
Bristol City
Goal
Plymouth Argyle
Goal
Rotherham United
Swansea City
Two goals and one assist
Stats via Sofascore
10 Crysencio Summerville
Crysencio Summerville.
Summerville is another player who should keep his place in the starting XI as the Dutch whiz has been a constant threat to opposition defences this season.
The 22-year-old talent has racked up 15 goals and eight assists in 29 appearances in the Championship so far this season for Farke's team on the left flank.