Michael Skubala believes playing in front of a large Elland Road crowd will be a vital learning experience for his Leeds United U21s. As of this morning, 9,000 tickets had been sold for Friday night’s Premier League 2 Division 2 clash with Southampton and there is a chance that number could hit five figures.
With the first-team’s game at Manchester United being postponed this weekend, a number of senior players are expected to drop down into the youth ranks to face the Saints, with Patrick Bamford, Luke Ayling, Junior Firpo and club captain Liam Cooper amongst those in contention for the contest. Wilfried Gnonto is also expected to feature in some capacity, making his first appearance in a Leeds shirt since his deadline day move from FC Zurich.
However, for the younger members of Skubala’s squad this may be one of the first times they have played in front of such a large crowd. The presence of such experienced first-teamers will certainly provide a calming influence, but the U21s boss is keen to see how his youngsters handle such an occasion.
