Daniel Farke has named his Leeds United starting-XI to face Nottingham Forest with Daniel Farke handing out competitive debuts to three summer signings.
The Whites kick off their 2026/27 campaign at the City Ground this afternoon, having won four of their six pre-season games over the summer. They face a Forest side under new but familiar management in the form of former Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner.
Farke named arguably his strongest possible line-up for last weekend’s 4-0 win over FC Augsburg, admitting this week that the trip to Forest might come too soon for Noah Okafor to start. That has proven accurate but there is space for three debutants.
James Trafford has impressed in pre-season.placeholder image
James Trafford has impressed in pre-season. | Steve Riding
Club-record signing James Trafford has looked solid in two pre-season games and starts in goal as expected. In front of him is a back three Farke will hope to keep in place for much of the campaign with fellow debutant Tarik Muharemovic joining Jaka Bijol and Joe Rodon.
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Muharemovic has looked equally impressive since his £34.1million move from Sassuolo. To his left is James Justin, with Gabriel Gudmundsson out due to a muscle injury, while Jayden Bogle is at right wing-back fresh off signing a new four-year contract at Elland Road.
Rodon also signed a new four-year deal recently, the pair following club captain Ethan Ampadu who penned fresh terms until 2030 earlier this summer. He starts in central midfield alongside Anton Stach.
Further forward, Brenden Aaronson starts on the left with any Okafor impact to come off the bench. Competitive debut number three is handed to Harry Wilson, who is developing a nice relationship with Rodon and Bogle down the right, while Dominic Calvert-Lewin will look to open his account nice and early.
Farke could hand out a fourth debut from the bench, with Nico Elvedi in the squad following confirmation of his transfer from Borussia Monchengladbach earlier this week. Lucas Perri is also with the substitutes, as are young pair Jayden Lienou and Alfie Cresswell.
Leeds starting-XI in full: Trafford; Rodon, Bijol, Muharemovic; Bogle, Ampadu, Stach, Justin; Wilson, Aaronson, Calvert-Lewin
Subs: Perri, Lienou, Cresswell, Elvedi, Longstaff, Tanaka, James, Okafor, Nmecha