Leeds are not involved in Carabao Cup action this week.
The Whites lost on penalties to Sheffield Wednesday in the second round – missing out on a measly £7,000 chunk of prize money in the process – but the result might actually help Daniel Farke secure three Premier League points for Leeds after the English Football League (EFL) revealed their scheduling plans.
Leeds might face a weakened Brentford side in December due to tight schedule
Brentford booked a spot in the Carabao Cup quarter-final on Tuesday with a 5-0 win over Grimsby.
It means Keith Andrews must prepare his side to face either Tottenham or Newcastle in the quarter-final, but the EFL have announced that this game will take place on the week commencing 15th December, either on the Tuesday or Wednesday.
Crucially, Leeds face Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium on Sunday 14th December.
The Bees – who currently sit 11th in the Premier League – are not expected to be in contention for European qualification this term, while the FA Cup is a different animal in itself, so Andrews might view the Carabao Cup as a real opportunity for his side.
As such, Farke will hope Brentford name a weakened side for the Premier League meeting in December and put all of their eggs in the Carabao Cup basket.
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Should this happen, it would offer Leeds a fantastic opportunity to scoop up three vital points, which could potentially prove decisive given how tight the Premier League is looking this season.
Brentford vs Leeds could act as an audition for Fabio Carvalho
Angus Kinnear admitted in September 2024 that Leeds wanted to sign Fabio Carvalho before his £27m move to Brentford in August that same year.
The man who is now CEO of Everton told The Square Ball: “Carvalho, who might have been able to go on loan (to) either Premier League or Championship. We felt first in the queue if it wasn’t the Premier League, but he joined Brentford for £27m.”
However, the Portugal U21 international is firmly out of favour under Andrews, playing just 96 minutes in the Premier League so far this season.
Florian Plettenburg of Sky Germany even believes Carvalho could leave Brentford in January.
Due to his situation, the 23-year-old is likely to be named in a weakened team against Leeds in December, if Andrews does opt to rest some of his key men.
Therefore, the clash against Leeds this winter could well turn out to be an audition for Carvalho ahead of a potential switch to Yorkshire in January.