Leeds’ club-record signing Georginio Rutter is poised to make his full debut in Saturday’s FA Cup fourth-round tie at Accrington.
The France Under-21s striker, a recent signing from Hoffenheim for a fee which could rise to £36million, was an unused substitute in Sunday’s 0-0 home Premier League draw against Brentford.
Leeds boss Jesse Marsch, who has never lost to a lower-league opponent as a head coach, said: “Georgi’s looked really good in training. I think there’s a high probability we start with him and I think he’s impressed in training.
“He’s an intelligent guy and by being (a former player) in Germany, he understands a lot of the principles that we use, so I’m excited to get him going, for sure.”
Leeds have fallen victim to cup giant-killers more times than their fans care to remember over the past 20 years, during which they have a miserable record in world football’s oldest knockout tournament.
Leeds were toppled by Cardiff, then in the third tier, when they were top of the old Premiership in 2002 and since then have been dumped out by the likes of Hereford, Histon, Rochdale, Sutton, Newport and Crawley.
Marsch will not be taking Sky Bet League One side Accrington lightly after they overcame Boreham Wood in a third-round replay on Tuesday.
The American said: “We always in the US would talk about the FA Cup, even when we were like seven. We’re very aware of what the tournament means.
“What it holds in terms of the David versus Goliath and how that can be a very inspiring narrative.
“One of the reasons why I feel like we’ve always managed with the teams I’ve been with to handle cup moments like this is because I want the team to always play with full intensity.
“Never to take anything for granted and against lower-league teams I think that’s maybe the most important thing.
“When you step on the pitch, you know it’s going to be a very difficult match, that we play to our highest level, that we go after the game physically and that we manage the match.”
Marsch, who will hand late fitness tests to both Tyler Adams and Liam Cooper before the lunchtime kick-off at Accrington, refused to comment on transfer speculation linking Leeds with Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie.
But he revealed defender Cody Drameh has joined Championship side Luton on loan for the rest of the season.
Marsch added: “No doubt I see a future for Cody here (at Leeds). He and I have formed a pretty strong relationship over the last eight months.”
