Leeds United may have just been handed a boost ahead of their Carabao Cup tie this evening against Yorkshire rivals Sheffield Wednesday.
After Leeds’ poor display against Arsenal at the weekend, where they lost 5 – 0, Daniel Farke will be looking to make changes.
We could see debuts for the likes of Sebastiaan Bornauw and Jaka Bijol, while Joel Piroe has started both Premier League games.
Therefore, we could see Lukas Nmecha start, though there is a chance that Dominic Calvert-Lewin could make his debut from the bench.
With all the talk of debuts, and potential Leeds changes, Daniel Farke may not welcome the latest team news coming out of Sheffield Wednesday.
Daniel Farke, Leeds United manager during game v Everton.
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
Henrik Pedersen shares Sheffield Wednesday team news
As Wednesday’s challenges continue, this latest team news may be a welcome relief for Leeds as they look to bounce back from the weekend.
The Owls’ manager Pedersen has revealed they will be fielding a young side this evening.
“First of all, Leeds are a fantastic club and a fantastic team,” he said, speaking to talkSPORT’s EFL All Access.
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“But it doesn’t matter who we play against – we’ll always start with ourselves. Our situation, right now, is that we have to rest more or less all the players that we’ve played.
“It could be a team that is similar to the one we played at Bolton, so a young team with a lot of U21 players, because we need to take care of the players we have so they can be fit for the Swansea game.
“So it’ll be a very young team that plays against Leeds, but we have prepared ourselves as we normally do, so we can compete at the best level that we can right now with our squad.”
Henrik Pedersen, Sheffield Wednesday manager during game v Bolton Wanderers.
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
How Leeds United can take advantage of Sheffield Wednesday team news
Daniel Farke told BBC Sport last week when asked about Leeds’ cup run: “I take the cup competition seriously, otherwise we wouldn’t travel there. We want to progress to the next round, but it’s also fair to say that the priority is definitely Premier League and survival in the Premier League.
“We won’t do anything stupid. We won’t risk a player if there is an injury, doubt, or a doubt in terms of load.”
In light of Farke’s comments prioritising Premier League survival and avoiding injury risks, Leeds United’s approach to the cup tie against a young Sheffield Wednesday side could be tactical and opportunistic.
The manager’s squad rotation will likely give minutes to players who need them, while still fielding a team capable of securing a win.
This match is a perfect opportunity for certain players to shine and prove their value. Dan James and Willy Gnonto’s pace can exploit the inexperience of young defenders, while the physical presence and finishing of a striker like Joel Piroe could pose problems for Wednesday’s backline
New signings, such as Noah Okafor or Sebastiaan Bornauw, can also get valuable minutes to impress the manager and integrate into the team.