Leeds United face Nottingham Forest in the Carabao Cup second round on Tuesday and ahead of that trip, Daniel Farke will hold a press conference today.
The Whites kickstarted their 2026/27 Premier League campaign in perfect fashion on Saturday, winning 1-0 at midweek hosts Forest. Anton Stach’s 88th-minute free-kick turned one point into three as Farke’s side were rewarded for a strong defensive performance and clean sheet.
Leeds don’t have much time to dwell on that victory, however, with another trip to the River Trent in just over 24 hours. Farke and his squad will hope to replicate Saturday’s victory and avoid another early cup exit, as happened last season at Sheffield Wednesday.
Gabriel Gudmundsson was among three injury absences at Nottingham Forest last weekend.placeholder image
Gabriel Gudmundsson was among three injury absences at Nottingham Forest last weekend. | Getty Images
Three first-team players missed out at Forest on Saturday through injury, the most notable being Gabriel Gudmundsson who suffered a muscular issue in pre-season. The Swedish international is expected to remain sidelined while there are doubts over Willy Gnonto and Ilia Gruev.
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Expect Farke to provide an update on all three, albeit it’s unlikely much has changed since late last week. Where there could be more change is in the starting-XI with plenty of opportunity to rotate for this cup opener.
Three of Leeds’ new arrivals made their competitive debuts in the Premier League win and number four could follow on Tuesday, with Nico Elvedi an unused substitute last weekend. The 29-year-old centre-back is in with a chance of starting, although it remains to be seen who he might replace.
Leeds are a little light in defensive areas but academy prospects Alfie Cresswell and Jayden Lienou could get a look in, depending on how strong Farke wants to go. Further forward, a well-stocked midfield could be rotated with Sean Longstaff coming off the bench late on over the weekend while Ao Tanaka was an unused substitute.
The likes of Daniel James, Willy Gnonto and Lukas Nmecha could also be brought into the starting-XI, should Farke decide to rotate. Leeds will have had just three days to recover from their league clash so Tuesday will be an early test of their durability.
Farke might also be quizzed on Leeds’ plans for the final eight days of the transfer window but as with last week’s pre and post-game press conferences, don’t expect him to give much away. He will also potentially be asked about the challenges in facing the same opponent twice in such quick succession and what his ambitions for the Carabao Cup are.