Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at how Leeds United could line up for Sunday’s Championship playoff final against Southampton.
Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford is seemingly fighting a losing battle to be fit for Sunday’s Championship playoff final against Southampton at Wembley.
The Englishman is still struggling with a knee injury and missed both legs of the Whites’ semi-final success over Norwich City, as Daniel Farke‘s men crushed the Canaries 4-0 following a first-leg draw.
Bamford has not been ruled out just yet but will surely only make the bench at best, while Sam Byram is in the same boat, having sat out the four-goal second-leg success due to a hip issue.
Meanwhile, Pascal Struijk and Darko Gyabi are both on the mend from groin surgeries, but Farke has no reason whatsoever to disrupt the harmony of the first XI from the semi-final second leg.
Ethan Ampadu was almost made to pay for one mistake as he let Joshua Sargent through on goal, but Illan Meslier came up trumps with a brilliant one-on-one save in the only real scare for Leeds at Elland Road.
Ampadu and Meslier will no doubt join forces at the back alongside Joe Rodon, Junior Firpo and promising teenager Archie Gray, believed to be on the radar of Bayern Munich among others.
Glen Kamara and Ilia Gruev – whose early free kick caught Angus Gunn out on May 16 – are untouchable in the middle, as are the quartet of Wilfried Gnonto, Georginio Rutter, Crysencio Summerville and Joel Piroe up top.
Leeds United possible starting lineup:
Meslier; Gray, Ampadu, Rodon, Firpo; Gruev, Kamara; Gnonto, Rutter, Summerville; Piroe
> Click here to see how Southampton could line up for the playoff final
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