Leeds United will get their push for promotion back underway in six days’ time when they face Watford.
Between now and the Good Friday trip to Vicarage Road, Leeds have a number of players in international action and Daniel Farke will be praying all his players come back in good health.
That said, Leeds do already have a couple of injury doubts heading into the game, the first of which comes at left-back, with Junior Firpo in action for the Dominican Republic in Peru just two days before Watford.
Georginio Rutter also faces a fight to be fit having undergone minor surgery on a hernia that has been plaguing him for the last few weeks.
So, with that in mind, here is our early predicted XI for the match.
Goalkeeper
Illan Meslier is one of a handful of players not away with their respective country and so obviously starts in goal.
Defence
Archie Gray made a goalscoring debut from the bench for England’s U21s yesterday afternoon and hopefully returns back to Leeds in good health ready to start at right-back.
Joe Rodon and Ethan Ampadu will both be pivotal to Wales’ hopes of qualifying for the EUROs on Tuesday in their play-off final with Poland. Again, Farke will have his fingers crossed for no injuries.
With the aforementioned Firpo away on international duty until the early hours of Wednesday, Sam Byram feels like a guaranteed starter at left-back.
Midfield
After losing to Leeds’ Welsh quartet last night, Glen Kamara’s international break with Finland is now over and so should be refreshed for Friday night.
Ilia Gruev, though, still has another friendly with Azerbaijan to get through before returning to Leeds. If he pulls through, he will be starting at Watford.
Attack
Rutter is Leeds’ only new injury doubt, as mentioned earlier, but based off the initial timeline from the club, he should just about be fit enough to start.
Both Crysencio Summerville and Patrick Bamford will be well rested after getting the international break off, and so, of course, start in attack.
Willy Gnonto has one more Italy U21s game to navigate and all being well, he will start, with Dan James continuing his recent role as super sub.)
Predicted XI: Meslier; Gray, Rodon, Ampadu, Byram; Gruev, Kamara; Gnonto, Rutter, Summerville, Bamford
