Jesse Marsch is expected to ring the changes on Wednesday night when Leeds United travel to face Wolverhampton Wanderers in the third round of the Carabao Cup. The head coach will hope his side can secure progression to the next round, but he’ll also give some of his star names a well-earned rest at Molineux.
Therefore, a number of the Whites’ fringe players will have the opportunity to step into the starting XI and make a case for themselves against the Premier League strugglers. Crysencio Summerville, Wilfried Gnonto and Sam Greenwood have done exactly that in recent outings, but as the World Cup break approaches, others will be keen make a statement.
Here, Leeds Live take a look at three players with points to prove on Wednesday night.
Read more: Leeds United line-ups vs Wolves as Gnonto, Gelhardt and Greenwood headline big changes
Mateusz Klich
It’s fair to say Klich has cut a frustrated figure this season after playing nothing more than a bit-part role under Marsch. The Poland international’s only senior start this season came in the second round win over Barnsley and he scored twice in that game to help the club ease through the challenge of the League One club.
That performance wasn’t enough to see him given a Premier League start, though, and despite making 11 appearances this season, all of them have come off the bench. He has struggled to make the desired impact as a result and his spot in the Polish World Cup squad is rumoured to be at risk.
He’ll be desperate to make an impact if selected to face Wolves, not only to make one last attempt at catching the eye of Poland boss Czeslaw Michniewicz, but to give Marsch some food for thought before what promises to be a hectic second half of the season.
Joe Gelhardt
This season probably hasn’t gone the way Gelhardt would have hoped so far. The striker will have approached the campaign with kicking on in mind, building on the form he showed last time around to play a key role under Jesse Marsch.
As the World Cup break approaches, though, he hasn’t been able to find that form and consistency in the side, playing just 161 Premier League minutes, with all but one appearance coming as a substitute. Gelhardt has seen the likes of Crysencio Summerville and Wilfried Gnonto surpass him in recent weeks and he’s had to drop down to the U21s side to pick up the minutes he requires.
The 20-year-old could be asked to lead the line on Wednesday, though, and if he does start, he’ll be determined to send a message to the head coach by making an impact. A goal would go a long way for the youngster who is still so highly thought of at Elland Road.
Junior Firpo
Firpo was unfortunate to start the Premier League campaign in the treatment room after picking up a knee injury in pre-season. His absence meant Pascal Struijk was given the nod at left-back and he has well and truly made the spot his own since then.
The Dominican has made just two Premier League appearances this season, with a surprise start coming at Leicester City, but he hasn’t been able to string together any sort of form in a Whites shirt. He could be set to feature at Molineux, though, depending on the amount of changes Marsch makes and he will be keen to not only apply pressure on Struijk but also persuade the Leeds hierarchy that they don’t need to dip into the market for a new left-back in January.
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