Wednesday 7th January 8:15pm | St James Park
Leeds are back in action on Wednesday night as Daniel Farke’s side travel up to St James’ Park to face Newcastle United. Both teams played on Sunday with Leeds holding the old enemy Manchester United to a 1-1 draw at Elland Road in a lunchtime kick-off, while Newcastle registered a comfortable 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace. With barely 72 hours between fixtures, squad rotation and injury management will be at the forefront of both managers’ minds.
Newcastle’s recent record against Leeds offers a mixed bag of results. The Magpies have secured just one win in their last seven Premier League meetings with the Yorkshire club (drawn four, lost two), that lone triumph coming in a 1-0 victory at Elland Road in January 2022. Yet Eddie Howe’s men arrive in confident form, unbeaten in their last seven home league matches (W5 D2) and finding the net twice in each of those games. Leeds, by contrast, have been stalwart on the road, going three Premier League away games without defeat, all draws against Brentford, Sunderland and Liverpool, a run they haven’t extended to four since December 2001 under David O’Leary. The Whites have drawn five out of six of their last games.
Both teams will be missing key personnel, exacerbating the challenge of a quick turnaround. Leeds still expect winger Daniel James to be side-lined for several more weeks as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury sustained in the 3-2 defeat at Manchester City in late November. Centre-back Joe Rodon, who suffered an ankle ligament issue in the 1-1 draw at Sunderland just before Christmas, faces another fortnight on the side-lines. Right-back Jaiden Bogle missed Sunday’s game due to a minor calf problem; with James Justin covering admirably at right-back, Farke is unlikely to rush Bogle back until he feels fully fit.
Midfield veteran Sean Longstaff, made a surprise bench appearance at Elland Road against Manchester Utd, yet Farke admitted that his presence was as much about his leadership around the dressing room prompting speculation that he is not yet ready to return to first team action. Skipper Ethan Ampadu returns after his one match ban, probably meaning that Ilea Gruev drops to the bench.
Newcastle cannot escape their own casualty list. Centre-half Dan Burn is ruled out with a rib problem, while fellow defenders Emil Krafth and Jamaal Lascelles remain on the treatment table with knee and long-term fitness issues respectively. Danish forward William Osula has been side-lined by an ankle injury, and winger Jacob Murphy is considered doubtful after picking up a slight hamstring complaint against Palace. On a more positive note, Tino Livramento and Kieran Trippier are edging back from a knee and thigh injury respectively, and both could feature off the bench or even start if Howe opts for rotation.
Given these absences, both Farke and Howe will both have to lean on squad depth, especially given the number of fixtures recently. Leeds may revert to a back three or pack the midfield in order to shield their makeshift defence, while Newcastle could deploy a more conservative front line, relying on the industrious Joelinton and the creativity of Anthony Gordon to break down stubborn opponents. The contest also provides another opportunity for Leeds striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who has netted six times against Newcastle in the Premier League, only Crystal Palace have conceded more of his goals (seven).
