Daniel Farke will name his first Leeds United XI as the Whites take on Manchester United in Oslo this evening. The game takes place in Oslo and it will provide supporters with a first glimpse of what Farke’s side might look like when the Championship season gets underway.
Of course, Leeds are expected to travel without a number of their most high-profile players and Farke has had just one week working with those who will be involved tonight. But, the German will be looking to make his mark as quickly as possible and there could be a few clues about what’s to come tonight with his selection.
Here’s a look at things we could learn from Leeds’ clash against the Red Devils.
Drameh’s standing
Both Cody Drameh and Luke Ayling are expected to be in the Whites’ travelling squad and while it is only a friendly, Farke’s right-back selection could be telling. Drameh has cut a frustrated figure at Elland Road over the last 18 months after repeatedly finding opportunities hard to come by.
As such, he has been forced to leave the club on loan to show what he can do and he caught the eye during his stints at Cardiff City and Luton Town. He has since returned to the club and despite interest coming from Premier League outfits, it seems he would be willing to stay in West Yorkshire if he were to be given first-team assurances.
His current standing within the squad remains unclear but a start and a lengthy outing in Norway might just provide us with a window into Farke’s thinking, giving him the chance he needs to stake his claim before the real stuff gets underway on August 6. Of course, the situation is complicated by Rasmus Kristensen’s presence at the club, but the Denmark international is known to be of interest in Roma and could be on the move.
Rutter’s way forward
Leeds appeared to make a point during the first couple of days of pre-season as Georginio Rutter featured frequently in social media posts and club-produced videos posted on LUTV. Without reading too much into it, the focus on the Frenchman in such clips underlined him as someone the club see as a key man moving forward in the Championship.
How the 21-year-old, who made just one Premier League start after his January switch from Hoffenheim, fits into Farke’s system remains to be seen, though. Of course, Rutter can play out wide or up front and tonight’s run out should certainly give us a clue about where he’s at and where Leeds supporters could see him more frequently in the future.
Rutter will be determined to get his career back on track this season and the hope is that the drop down in level might just play into his hands.
Number 10 questions
Assuming Farke sticks to his preferred shape, Leeds will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation tonight, with a player slotting in behind the striker. Who that man will be is up for debate, though, and it may well boil down to what the manager wants from that position.
Sam Greenwood is arguably the most obvious choice within the travelling group when it comes to creating, with the former Arsenal man boasting guile on the ball, an eye for a pass and a wicked right foot. He can play up front or as a deeper centre midfielder, but he’s probably best somewhere in between, trying to get involved in build-up play and exploit the spaces.
Joe Gelhardt can play a similar role, but he’s probably seen as more of a secondary striker, supporting the frontman on a more consistent basis and getting involved in attacks. There’s not a lot in it, but we might get a better understanding of how Farke sees those nuances and what he has planned for the Whites’ attacking shape.
