Daniel Farke does not often like giving away too much in terms of his team selection in the build-up to Leeds United matches.
Having had a much-needed few days off to recover from a testing Easter weekend, Leeds return to action on Saturday with another massive game at Coventry City on Saturday.
The Whites will be looking to pick up another three points in order to cement their position in the top two, knowing fellow promotion hopefuls Ipswich Town and Leicester City are likely to just keep on winning.
Farke provided a team news update on his squad in yesterday’s press conference and for the second match in a row, left the door open for Ilia Gruev to return, without confirming either way whether he would be fit.
Willy Gnonto and Connor Roberts were both again ruled out by Farke, but refused to give an exact date on when either may return to the squad.
Farke has surely given a clue that £7m Leeds player is going to be starting vs Coventry
With all that said, Farke has certainly given a hint on one man who will be starting at Coventry on Saturday afternoon.
Calls have been growing for Mateo Joseph to be handed his first ever start in the league, with his impact off the bench just continuing to grow game-by-game.
It was his equaliser that won a point at Watford seven days ago, while his introduction against Hull City also helped turn the balance of the game back in Leeds’ favour.
At the same time, it would be fair to say Patrick Bamford was below par in each of those matches, and so there is no doubt Joseph is now very much breathing down his neck for a start.
However, when asked on the potential of Joseph starting yesterday, Farke was quick to remind everyone that Joseph is still young and inexperienced.
Clearly Farke was looking to cool the talk surrounding the young Spaniard, as he was also full of praise for how Bamford has performed in the last few months.
He also insisted that at this stage of the season, it is vital to have some experience on the pitch and Bamford is certainly someone who falls under that category.
What Farke said about the Bamford vs Joseph battle at Leeds
Here is exactly what Farke had to say on the battle between Bamford and Joseph at Leeds, pointing to the experience of the £7m man which is winning the race right now.
He said: “I like when everyone is buzzing about our players. Mateo deserves our praise, he has developed all season, but it’s important we’re not too driven by our emotions. Mateo has got one goal this season in the league, it’s not like without him we have no chance.
“He’s done well in cup comps, he scored the brace at Chelsea, great, important impact from the bench, this is also what we need. It’s good to have this player with this momentum because whenever he comes on at the moment he comes on with emotions and confidence, but so important to have experienced players on the pitch like Patrick who put a shift in.
“To have the experience and quality of Patrick available is also crucial, we play with 21 y/o Georginio, 22 y/o Cree Summerville – we need experienced players fit and available and in good shape.”