Christian Pulisic & Bukayo Saka snuck onto 'The Boys'?! Eagle-eyed fans spot a host of USMNT & England stars referenced in new series of popular superhero TV series

Eagle-eaged football fans have spotted a host of star names, including Christian Pulisic and Bukayo Saka, featured on TV show The Boys.

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  • The Boys back for Season Four
  • Fans spot host of football references
  • Star names in abundance in episode three
  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    Superhero television show The Boys has returned to screens with a new fourth series that has fans talking football on social media. Eagle-eyed supporters have managed to spot a host of star names from all over the world in the set design, suggesting that some staff on The Boys are serious football fans. Superstar names such as USMNT forward Pulisic, Spain legend Sergio Busquets and England talisman Saka appear along with apparent references to lesser lights including Ireland's Sammie Szmodics, Wales stars Chris Mepham and Will Vaulks and even Sheffield United's Oli McBurnie.

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  • THE BIGGER PICTURE

    USMNT stars such as Gio Reyna and Yunus Musah appear to be referenced along with England players Ivan Toney, Ben Chilwell and Jordan Pickford. Close inspection also reveals a fondness for Italy legends Marco Verratti and Ciro Immobile, Spain stars Sergi Roberto, Dani Olmo and Marco Asensio as well as NY Red Bulls attacker Emil Forsberg. There's also a mention for Ireland's Jayson Molumby and Festy Ebosele as well as Mexico legend Jared Borgetti.

  • DID YOU KNOW

    The Boys star Jack Quaid has declared himself a lifelong fan of Brazilian side Palmeiras after the cast took a trip to the club to watch the team in Copa Libertadoes action. He wrote on Instagram: "Last night was a blast! Thank you Palmeiras for a wonderful time and an AMAZING game. I’m a fan for life now."

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    WHAT NEXT

    The world's top footballers are currently starring on screens around the world during a busy summer of sport. England stars are at Euro 2024 and preparing for a group game against Denmark on Thursday, while the USMNT are set to start their Copa America campaign on Sunday against Bolivia.

Romildo sobre vacinas da Conmebol: 'O futebol não pode ser priorizado'

MatériaMais Notícias

Nesta terça-feira, a Conmebol anunciou que recebeu doação de 50 mil doses da Coronavac para vacinar os profissionais do futebol.

+ Veja 30 astros que jogaram por times do Nordeste e você não lembra

Apesar da atitude da entidade, que vai iniciar o processo de imunização da classe, o presidente Romildo Bolzan não vê com tantos bons olhos a situação.

‘O futebol, mesmo com todos os ajustes, não pode ser priorizado em relação a diversas categorias que hoje são muito mais importantes e necessárias para o retorno à normalidade’, afirmou na coletiva.

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Spurs let an academy star leave for free & now he’s better than Johnson

Ange Postecoglou is a really, really good manager, and while narratives can change like the wind in football, Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy will likely envisage a long-term future with the Australian at the helm.

Spurs are fifth in the Premier League after 25 matches, just two points behind Aston Villa in fourth place, and while the side's season has been marked by inconsistency once again, there is a vision, a purpose and synergy, that speaks of the possibilities down the line under Postecoglou's wing.

But a recent home defeat against Wolverhampton Wanderers – who have now completed the league double over Postecoglou's team – has yet again maintained the ebb and flow of Tottenham's fluency.

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Nonetheless, last year's troubles are a far cry from the current efforts, with chairman Daniel Levy forced into sacking Antonio Conte back in March as Spurs slumped to an eighth-placed finish in the top-flight, Harry Kane's decision to leave for Bayern Munich a by-product of the issues.

The tide is turning. Tottenham have a plan and incremental gains will hopefully be made over the coming months and years, ending the years of inaccuracy and inconsistency, both on the pitch and in the market.

Levy is nurturing a precocious youth crop that rivals any on English shores, but now Tottenham must ensure that talent is properly assessed and promising gems do not slip away, much like the exit of Noni Madueke several years back.

Noni Madueke's time at Spurs

Of course, Madueke has not quite nailed himself as a first-choice star in Chelsea's team but the 21-year-old winger is one of England's most talented up-and-comers and may yet become a starring figure at Stamford Bridge.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.

Many are unaware of the attacker's Lilywhites beginnings, but the starlet was indeed on Tottenham's books and even made an appearance in the U18 Premier League back in 2016/17, such was the strength of his prodigious roots.

Speaking of this fledgling phase in an interview with Sky Sports, Madueke said: "Tottenham was a great academy and they’ve got a great development plan. I’d been offered a scholarship agreement at Tottenham but I’d seen a lot of the boys – that were good as well – just kind of get lost in the system and I just didn’t want that for me.

“Going to PSV is not going to harm my development at all and if I’m good enough, I’m going to play quick in the first team, so that was really my mindset. I’m thinking ‘if I jump the queue, I’ll just be better than all my peers because whilst they’re playing Under-18’s and Under-21’s, I’ll be playing against men.”

England U21 international Noni Madueke.

Lost in the hubbub of youth football, Madueke moved to PSV at age 16, delving down an alternative route as he looked to sculpt himself into a top-class star down the line.

Now, he's back on English shores with Chelsea, and Spurs may yet rue the failure to keep him tethered to north London.

Noni Madueke's Chelsea career so far

Madueke has chalked up 31 displays for Chelsea so far since completing a £30m transfer from Dutch Eredivisie giants PSV Eindhoven in January 2023, where he had earned repute for his electric displays and led talent scout Jacek Kulig to gush over his "crazy good" ability on the ball.

#

Player

Club

1.

Dejan Kulusevski

Tottenham Hotspur

2.

Miguel Almiron

Newcastle United

3.

Felipe Anderson

Lazio

4.

Bernardo Silva

Manchester City

5.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia

Napoli

Source: FBref

Madueke was part of the unrelenting influx as Chelsea's new regime looked to make lucrative investments and build from the smouldering ashes of Roman Abramovich's machine-like success in west London, but it hasn't clicked together yet.

In fairness, while he has largely been on the fringe under Mauricio Pochettino, the 5 foot 9 ace has scored four goals and supplied one assist from only eight starting appearances across all competitions, so there's evidence enough that he has the making of a high-class winger.

As per FBref, Madueke ranks among the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for progressive carries and touches in the attacking penalty area, the top 3% for successful take-ons, the top 2% for clearances and the top 16% for blocks per 90.

His fleet-footedness is truly edging into the realm of the elite, and if he can tweak and fine-tune his end product and decision-making in decisive moments, Madueke could yet blossom into one of the Premier League's most fearsome forwards.

Noni Madueke.

Principally a right-sided wideman, Madueke would be a valuable asset under Postecoglou's wing, with his power of progression and technical skill slotting right into the Australian's high-octane, fluid-moving set-up.

Perhaps, like at Stamford Bridge, he wouldn't start every week at this primitive stage of his career, but were his youth development handled with more tact then he could be pushing for a prominent role down the N17 right now, in what might have precluded the need for a large outlay in signing Brennan Johnson last summer.

How Noni Madueke compares to Brennan Johnson

Johnson signed for Tottenham from Nottingham Forest in a £47.5m move on summer deadline day, having played an instrumental role in the City Ground side's successful bid for survival last year, posting ten goals across all competitions.

The Wales international has produced some promising stuff across the past months, starting 13 Premier League matches and clinching three goals and four assists.

Brennan Johnson.

He's only averaging 0.6 dribbles per game though and for someone of such a high-paced profile, there's little doubt that Postecoglou would hope to see more energy and penetration in possession.

Madueke, in comparison, is averaging 1.1 dribble per fixture in the Premier League despite his scant action (his aforementioned FBref metrics also corroborate the claim that he is the superior dribbler), also completing 86% of his passes to underpin the technical crispness that Postecoglou cherishes within his ranks.

Madueke has not quite managed to slot himself to the forefront of Pochettino's plans but there is no question that the Englishman boasts frightening qualities that could yet establish him as one of Europe's standout wingers.

In fairness, Johnson is also young in his career and has offered flashes of the high-class potential that prompted Levy to part with such a sizeable sum for his services.

But had Tottenham been a touch more scrupulous in their transfer activity over recent years, Madueke could have been guided to the first-team, preventing Johnson's acquisition from ever taking place.

Ultimately, only time will tell which star will enjoy the richer career…

USMNT Olympic star Tanner Tessman linked with blockbuster Inter Milan move from newly-promoted Venezia in Serie A

USMNT Olympics star Tanner Tessman is linked with a blockbuster transfer to reigning Serie A champions Inter Milan.

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Tessman recently promoted with VeneziaLinked with Inter Milan moveSet to star for USMNT at Paris GamesWHAT HAPPENED?

Gianluca Di Marzio report that the Serie A champions have opened talks with Venezia for the American midfielder. The 22-year-old has been discussed as a summer purchase for the Nerazzurri, but he would be loaned back to the Venice-based club for the 2024/25 season.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Tessman netted seven times for Venezia in 2023/24, including a brilliant goal in their promotion playoffs semifinal vs Palermo.

The Texas native has been an outstanding player for the now-Serie A side, but has also put in his shifts on the international stage. He's become a clear favorite for U23 USMNT Olympics boss Marko Mitrovic, and is expected to lead the midfield line at the Paris Games this summer.

DID YOU KNOW?

Tessman was promoted with Venezia for the second time this season. He was on the squad in 2021 when they made their way from Serie B to Serie A as well.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR TESSMAN?

The midfielder will look to represent his country at the Paris Games this summer, with a finalized roster expected in early July. Following the conclusion to the Olympics, a potential transfer to the Serie A champions may arise.

Tom Moores, bowlers star as Nottinghamshire hammer Birmingham

Keeper hits 38-ball 69 before Notts spinners stifle Birmingham run chase to secure crushing victory

Jon Culley02-Aug-2019

Tom Moores crunches one through the leg side•Getty Images

Having blamed dropped catches for their first defeat of the season at Northampton last week, Birmingham Bears counted the cost of another mistake in the field as they allowed Nottinghamshire to build a total that they never threatened to overhaul.Liam Banks’s failure to take a routine chance at long-off allowed Tom Moores to underline what a dangerous batsman he is becoming in this format, advancing from 16 to 69 as the home side turned what was shaping up as a modest return for opting to bat first into something far more challenging.A crowd of just over 12,000 – the third of that size in four Vitality Blast matches at Trent Bridge so far – then watched a spin-heavy Nottinghamshire bowling attack impose such a crushing grip on Birmingham’s attempt to put some momentum into the chase that the cause looked lost a long way before the end.No one was more impressive than the tall offspinner Matthew Carter, only now becoming a regular part of Nottinghamshire’s T20 side, who took three wickets in his four overs at a cost of just 14 runs, conceding only one boundary and claiming the rare distinction of a wicket-maiden.Carter, into the action in the second over, bowled Ed Pollock with his fifth ball as the opener went to sweep. Only two runs came off the over and although it was the only wicket to fall in the Powerplay overs, after which Birmingham were still in the contest, a standard had been set for the senior spinners – the Pakistan left-armer Wasim Imad and Trent Bridge stalwart Samit Patel – to follow.At the halfway point, Birmingham still trailed by 112 runs and thereafter every batsman who tried to inject momentum into the chase quickly perished in act. Nottinghamshire’s fielding was exemplary, Joe Clarke, Ben Duckett and Luke Wood all taking fine boundary catches.Carter, 23, has had to work hard to claim a place in a Nottinghamshire team in which spin has not always been a major component, so for him it was an especially gratifying night.”It has been tough,” he said. “I had two games last season in which I felt I did pretty well and I have worked hard during the winter to get my T20 bowling into full swing and it is paying off, so I’m well pleased.”It was the best I have bowled in T20, especially against good players in front of a big crowd. I feel like I have a role in the team now and nine times out of 10 it seems to be paying off, so it gives me a lot of confidence going forward.”It was a good enough wicket but as a group I think the spinners all bowled really well on it, did not give them much to hit and the balls they did want to hit they ended up they got out to. As a unit I think we were brilliant tonight.”The Moores escape came in the 12th over, when Nottinghamshire themselves were struggling to put their foot to the floor after reaching halfway at 72 for 2.The wicketkeeper-batsman has shown himself more than once to be a dangerous opponent in this format, but he should have been comfortably caught at long-off when he sent the ball looping skywards off a Will Rhodes full toss in the last over of the Powerplay, only for Banks to let the ball slip through his grasp.Had it stuck, it might have been a different story, not least because Birmingham did dislodge Clarke, whose half-century sent out another signal of a return to form for the England Lions batsman after his recent troubled times, in the next over.The 20-year-old Banks, fielding at midwicket earlier, had misjudged the flight of a miscued pull by Alex Hales, letting another of the home side’s trump cards off the hook. That one was less costly, Hales falling in the same Henry Brookes over with only four runs added.Moores was not so kind. Three balls later, he crashed a wide half-volley from Rhodes over cover for the second of his six sixes and his destructive mood gathered momentum from there.At the height of his assault, he plundered 30 runs from nine deliveries, lofting Jeetan Patel for consecutive sixes over the midwicket boundary before taking 17 off Ashton Agar in a single over, including a four off the toe of the bat through the legs of wicketkeeper Ben Burgess.Using his feet well against the slow bowlers, he reached 50 from just 27 deliveries. His luck ran out on 69, two overs from the end of a Nottinghamshire innings that proved much more profitable had looked likely at one stage. His six sixes took his career tally to 50.”I struggled early on in the innings but Joe helped me through, he is so calm at the crease,” Clarke said. “I was just pleased to contribute to a win.”We gave to go to Old Trafford tomorrow, which will be a tough game, but we felt it was a complete performance tonight.”

رسميًا | شرط جزائي ضخم.. برشلونة يعلن تجديد عقد لاعبه رغم إصابته طويلة الأمد

أعلن نادي برشلونة، في بيان رسمي منذ قليل، تجديد عقد أحد لاعبي الفريق، رغم الإصابة طويلة الأمد التي يعاني منها في الوقت الحالي.

ويستعد برشلونة لخوض مباراة مساء غد ضد يونج بويز، في إطار منافسات الجولة الثانية من دوري أبطال أوروبا.

اقرأ أيضًا.. هانز فليك يرفض الحديث عن تشيزني ويؤكد: لا يوجد لاعب يضمن مكانه في برشلونة

ويخوض برشلونة تلك المباراة بعد خسارته الأولى في الدوري الإسباني لهذا الموسم، يوم السبت الماضي أمام إسبانيول بنتيجة 4-2.

ووفقًا لما جاء في بيان رسمي، فإن برشلونة توصل إلى اتفاق مع اللاعب مارك بيرنال بشأن تجديد عقده، حتى 30 يونيو 2026، عندما ينتهي دوره كلاعب في فريق الرديف تحت 19 عامًا، مع خيار التمديد لثلاث سنوات أخرى.

وتبلغ قيمة الشرط الجزائي في عقد مارك بيرنال 500 مليون يورو.

كان مارك بيرنال عنصرًا أساسيًا في فريق برشلونة الرديف، قبل انضمامه إلى الفريق الأول حيث تألق تحت قيادة المدرب هانز فليك، في فترة ما قبل الموسم.

وظهر بيرنال لأول مرة مع برشلونة، الفريق الأول، في الجولة الأولى ضد فالنسيا، وأثار إعجاب الجميع.

ولكن الأمر لم يستمر طويلًا، حيث تعرض بيرنال لإصابة بقطع في الرباط الصليبي خلال مباراة الجولة الثالثة أمام رايو فاييكانو، مما يعني انتهاء موسمه.

ورغم ذلك، فإن برشلونة يؤمن بقدرات مارك بيرنال لدرجة دفعت الإدارة إلى تجديد عقده على المدى البعيد.

Man Utd must regret selling gem for £0 who’s “similar to Iniesta”

Manchester United’s transfer strategy over the past decade has been rather concerning.

Overpaying for players while also letting players leave on the cheap has had an impact on the side’s performances.

Nonetheless, let’s take a look at one of United’s biggest transfer mistakes over the last few years.

Angel Gomes’ time at Man United

As the godson of United icon Nani, Angel Gomes already had plenty of pressure on his shoulders before he even played a minute for the Red Devils' first team.

The versatile midfielder made his debut for the club in 2017, when he replaced Wayne Rooney against Crystal Palace. The England star was just 16 years old at the time, which makes him the third-youngest player to play for the club.

Angel Gomes

The now-23-year-old played just ten times for United’s first team, despite scoring 29 goals for the youth teams.

Even though his boyhood club offered him a new contract to stay at the club, Gomes declined it and moved to Lille for £0 on a free transfer, later saying: “it made most sense for me to go there because I knew I was going to get more of an opportunity.”

The maestro is now worth £26m, according to CIES' Football Observatory.

Gomes was the one that got away

Since moving to the French club, the midfielder has played 98 matches, showing his versatility to play as a defensive midfielder, a box-to-box ace, or even as a number ten, which is the exact profile Erik ten Hag could use in his squad right now.

Gomes also starred in the U21 European Championships in the summer for England, where he helped his nation claim the trophy over Spain. Throughout, he looked a class above and was "so good at keeping things ticking over", as per BBC report Alex Howell.

The confidence gained from that triumph has carried over into the new Ligue 1 season.

The table below showing his 2023/24 Ligue 1 stats illustratess exactly what United have missed out on since his departure.

Assists

0.24

Top 2%

Shot-creating actions

3.72

Top 14%

Passes completed

56.48

Top 18%

Pass completion %

89.9%

Top 7%

Progressive passes

7.14

Top 18%

Key passes

1.48

Top 20%

As you can see, Gomes is an extremely technical player who is a creative magician while also having the intelligence to slow the game down and retain the ball, which is why he’s “similar to Iniesta,” as per former United youth coach Paul McGuiness.

This style of player would have fit Ten Hag’s system like a glove, as he relies on players to be brave on the ball and progress the play while also having the decision-making ability to not be wasteful.

Angel Gomes

Gomes’ ability to create goal-scoring opportunities while ranking in the top 7% of the league for pass completion % is what makes his profile so unique.

There’s nobody like him in the United midfield at the moment bar Kobbie Mainoo, with Scott McTominay ranking in the bottom 88% in the league for passes completed, and Casemiro ranking in the bottom 77% for pass completion over the last year in Europe.

n truth, it’s clear that United should have never let go of their Carrington jewel.

David Ornstein shares major Morgan Rogers to Aston Villa transfer update

Last week, three Aston Villa scouts watched Norwich City's Jonathan Rowe in action against Leeds United in the Championship. Unai Emery's side are showing a strong interest in Rowe and have long been big admirers, but he looks like a plan-b if they can't get their top target.

Aston Villa transfer target Morgan Rogers in action against Chelsea.

The number one priority for Emery appears to be Middlesbrough's Morgan Rogers, who's already been subject to two unsuccessful bids. There have been conflicting reports on the likelihood of him ending up at Villa Park, with one suggesting that he may receive the greenlight after Chelsea knocked Boro out of the Carabao Cup, and another saying this saga could run until the very end of the window. We've now seen another significant development as Thursday's deadline looms.

Villa make third Rogers offer

According to The Athletic's David Ornstein, Villa have now submitted another bid for Rogers. This one is worth up to £15m with add-ons, and while Boro have yet to accept it, negotiations are ongoing. The hope at Villa Park is that a deal will move quickly towards completion in the early part of this week.

In an attached article, Ornstein confirms that Rogers is the primary target for Emery in the days that remain. The player is thought to be "excited" by the prospect of making the move to Villa Park, and may be waiting anxiously to see the outcome of the current talks.

Why Rogers can be the ideal Diaby alternative

Sports journalist Josh Bunting hailed Rogers as an "excellent" acquisition when he joined Boro from Manchester City in last summer's transfer window, and he's justified that with his fine performances in the Championship so far. In addition to scoring a couple of goals, he ranks ninth in the division for assists (six), and fares even better on a per-90 basis (second at 0.41).

Assuming a deal gets done, the natural question to ask is where he fits in at Villa. The Englishman's versatility will help him in this respect – he's mostly lined up in an attacking midfield role, but he can also play more advanced or on the left, as the table below shows.

Attacking midfield

10

Centre-forward

4

Left midfield

3

Left winger

2

Second striker

2

Emery's most common tactical set-up at Villa is 4-4-2, and in that shape Rogers could operate as the left midfielder or play the Moussa Diaby role in the front two alongside Ollie Watkins. Diaby has also served as the number ten in a 4-2-3-1 and a 4-4-1-1, which is another spot that could suit the youngster quite well.

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Villa have qualified for the Europa Conference League round of 16, and they'll be back in action on Thursday nights from next month onwards. As he simultaneously tries to secure a top-four finish in the Premier League, Emery will have to ramp up his rotation, and again that will play into Rogers' hands.

BCB to host two T20s between Asia XI and World XI in March 2020

The BCB will host two T20Is between an Asia XI and a World XI in March 2020, as part of the extensive nationwide celebrations to commemorate the birth centenary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh’s founding father.BCB president Nazmul Hassan said that they are looking for the “best current cricketers” for the two sides, and expected many of their desired players to be available as only two teams are scheduled to be involved in international cricket by that time.Sheikh Mujib was born on March 17, 1920, and every year his birth anniversary is celebrated through a national holiday. Because of the birth centenary next year, the government is chalking up big plans for celebrations, which will include cricket matches.”There will be a matter of availability if they [the players] have international duties,” Hassan said. “I think only two teams will be busy at the time, but they won’t be playing T20s, so we might get their T20 players. We are looking for the best players among the current lot, and because the games will have international status, everyone will be serious about it.”Hassan said that during the ICC meeting last week, the members had unanimously allowed these two games to have international status although the regulation only allows such matches to get the international status if it involves a Full Member nation playing the game.”They made a special dispensation for Bangladesh, but they said it is only a one-off that such a match will get international status,” Hassan said.The matches will be held between March 18 and 21 at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.

Bamford dropped in Leeds predicted lineup vs Swansea

Leeds United are back in Championship action once again on Tuesday night as their seemingly relentless schedule of fixtures rampages on.

The Whites face the long travel down to Wales to take on Swansea City away from home as they go in search of a seventh straight win in the division.

Daniel Farke's side have won their last six matches in succession in the second tier and are heading into this match off the back of a 3-0 win over Rotherham at Elland Road on Saturday.

Leeds United manager Daniel Farke.

An opening goal from Patrick Bamford and two strikes from Crysencio Summerville sealed all three points for the hosts in, what was, an emphatic victory.

The unrelenting schedule in the Championship and the FA Cup, in which they travel to Chelsea later this month, means that the German head coach could make some changes to the starting XI from the win over the Millers.

With this in mind, here is FFC's predicted Leeds line-up to take on the Swans in Wales on Tuesday night…

1 Illan Meslier

Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier.

Starting off between the sticks, number one Illan Meslier should be selected from the start. He kept his 12th clean sheet of the season in his 29th league appearance against Rotherham.

2 Connor Roberts

Burnley right-back Connor Roberts.

The first change to the starting XI could come at right-back as deadline day signing Connor Roberts could make his full debut for Leeds against his former club.

He came on for 15 minutes against the Millers to get a taste of the action at Elland Road and may now be itching to get his first start for the club.

A trip to a familiar setting, at the club where he started his career and came through the academy, could be the ideal place for that first start as Roberts knows the ground and should feel comfortable enough to hit the ground running.

This may be harsh on young Archie Gray, who won five of his eight duels against Rotherham, but it would provide the youngster with a breather and offer a chance for the new signing to impress.

3 Joe Rodon

Leeds defender Joe Rodon.

Another Wales international could start at the heart of the defence. Joe Rodon has been a dominant force at the back for the Whites this season with a duel success rate of 66% across 28 appearances in the league since his move on loan from Tottenham Hotspur.

4 Ethan Ampadu

Leeds midfielder Ethan Ampadu.

To complete a Welsh trio at the back for Leeds, Ethan Ampadu could continue at centre-back. The midfielder by trade has helped the team to six wins and five clean sheets in six appearances as a central defender in all competitions in 2024.

5 Junior Firpo

Leeds United defender Junior Firpo.

Farke has confirmed that Sam Byram has suffered from muscle issues and will not be available for selection against the Swans, whilst Jamie Shackleton is also out for personal reasons.

This leaves Firpo as the only obvious option to start at left-back and the ex-Barcelona man should, therefore, retain his place in the starting XI.

His deflected cross, after a superb lung-bursting run down the left flank, provided the assist for Bamford's goal to open the scoring on Saturday.

6 Ilia Gruev

Leeds midfielder Ilia Gruev.

In the middle of the park, Ilia Gruev's recent performances suggest that the Bulgaria international deserves to maintain his place in the side for Leeds. He has recorded a Sofascore rating of 7.1 or higher in seven of his last eight appearances in all competitions.

7 Glen Kamara

Finland international Glen Kamara.

Alongside the former Werder Bremen star, Finland international Glen Kamara should start in midfield as his ball retention is crucial to how the Whites want to play.

Farke wants his team to dominate and control the game, and the central midfielder's fantastic passing allows them to do that as he rarely gives the ball away.

Kamara has completed 93.2% of his attempted passes in the Championship this season, which places him in the top 2% of midfielders in the division.

8 Wilfried Gnonto

Wilfried Gnonto

On the right side of the attack, Wilfried Gnonto's recent performances suggest that the Italy international should line up in the attack once again.

He did not register a goal or assist in the win over Rotherham but it was his sharp pass into the box that allowed Crysencio Summerville to win a penalty for his second goal of the afternoon. That came after the winger had scored in each of his last two starts – against Plymouth Argyle and Bristol City.

However, Daniel James is now back in training and available for selection, as per Farke, and will provide competition for that starting spot on the wing.

9 Georginio Rutter

Leeds forward Georginio Rutter.

Georginio Rutter should be selected in the number ten position after another impressive display as a creative force for Leeds against the Millers.

The French magician made four key passes and created one 'big chance', which was rewarded with an assist for Summerville's first goal, to take his tally to 19 'big chances' created in 30 league matches this season.

23/24 Championship

Georginio Rutter

Appearances

30

Goals

Five

Big chances created

19

Assists

Ten

Dribbles completed

84

Stats via Sofascore

He has the ability in possession to consistently unlock opposition defences to create high-quality opportunities for his teammates, and the 21-year-old whiz will be hoping to do so once again against the Swans.

10 Crysencio Summerville

Crysencio Summerville.

Selecting Crysencio Summerville is, possibly, the easiest decision that Farke has to make each game in the Championship as the Dutch forward continues to be a shining light for the club in the final third.

The 22-year-old phenomenon added two more goals to his tally in the win over Rotherham and is now on 14 goals and seven assists in league appearances for Leeds this season.

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