Daniel Farke had hoped to rest Junior Firpo on Wednesday night for Leeds United’s trip to Chelsea, but Jamie Shackleton pulled out in the 11th hour, leaving the Dominican to play another 90 minutes.
Injury, illness, and another transfer window without a new left-back have left Junior Firpo to hold the fort in Leeds United’s corner. Firpo has missed only 164 of Leeds’ 1,200 minutes over the last 13 matches.
For a man with such a dismal injury record since arriving in 2021, Firpo has produced a surprisingly steady body of work in 2024. Daniel Farke had intended to give the Dominican a night off on Wednesday, but Jamie Shackleton became ill in the afternoon.
So Firpo had to step up for another 90 minutes, battling with Noni Madueke and Raheem Sterling throughout the evening. It was far from perfect defensively, but Farke was encouraged by his defender’s aggressive play, which he believes has been lacking in recent games.
The 27-year-old started the year with four assists in four games, but his production has dwindled. Stamford Bridge seemed to elicit some of Firpo’s tenacity, particularly when he teamed up with the immensely outstanding Jaidon Anthony.
Shackleton is still ill and unavailable this lunchtime, and Sam Byram is unlikely to be ready for more than 30 minutes on the bench. Given his desire to rest Firpo in midweek, Farke may consider Connor Roberts or Archie Gray, but the manager is confident he will be ready for the derby.
“Junior is fine,” remarked Farke. “He played 90 minutes yesterday (Wednesday), and I would have preferred to be a little more careful. That was the reason I wanted to start Jamie.
“Sam wasn’t ready for a long-term appearance. I also have to bear in mind that he always requires a little more time to get there and ready to play.
“Just one or two sessions and then dealing with the pace of the Chelsea wingers [would have been too much]. In an emergency, I would have brought Sam in during the extra time, but not earlier.
“So, Junior had to go the whole distance, and I’m also glad since [in] the last league game, he didn’t have his finest offensive day. He kept [Abdul] Fatawu, a fantastic winger, pretty quiet, but in recent weeks he has demonstrated that he can be far more dangerous.
“Yesterday was a step forward, especially as we move forward. He made several fantastic passes and was daring enough to generate a number of opportunities with Jaidon on the wing.
“Having the game was beneficial to his confidence in the long run. Obviously, there were one or two instances when he could have improved his defense, but overall, it was another step forward.
“In the end, I was glad he participated because, sure, he played against one of the best teams in the country, and he competed. This will significantly boost his confidence again.
“So let’s see how he recovers. It wasn’t too horrible today (Thursday), and I believe he’s also accessible on Saturday.”
