Leeds United boss Daniel Farke is expected to be without Junior Firpo for the trip to Watford next Friday due to international commitments.
Leeds are not in action this weekend due to the international break, and as a result, several players have left Thorp Arch to represent their respective countries.
Junior Firpo is one of them, for the first time since joining Leeds, as he heads to the Dominican Republic camp.
Junior Firpo is unlikely to return for Watford, says Phil Hay.
Firpo will be in a battle against time to return for Leeds’ Easter schedule against Watford and Hull City, as he travels across the Atlantic to play two games against Aruba and Peru.
According to Phil Hay of The Athletic, given that he plays away against Peru on Wednesday, the Good Friday showdown at Watford will come too soon for him.
He stated this on the Square Ball podcast:
Leeds has momentum and energy. Farke is arguably one of the three top managers who is the least pleased about the upcoming break. I believe he understands the importance of taking a breather, and I believe it will benefit Leeds to be able to do so, but you don’t legitimately want to take a break when you don’t need it, which Leeds does not currently have.
“I believe the reason it isn’t as much of an assistance as it could be is that many players will be gone and others will play during it. He will not have many opportunities to participate in complete training sessions with the squad. I don’t think it significantly disadvantages Leeds that they won’t be able to do much preparation for Watford away, but as Farke stated, Firpo is likely to miss that game.
“He’s going to be away with the Dominican Republic, and I don’t think he’ll be back until that Friday,” Farke said. That means a change in position in the team, and whether you like Firpo or want him to play left-back or whatever, the results speak for themselves. The squad is currently settled and doing well.”
Firpo is a frustrating absence for Farke to deal with.
As a result, Leeds will be without the left-back for a difficult journey to Vicarage Road, where they won their last away game against Birmingham City.
Leeds’ performances in 2024 have been amazing for a variety of reasons, but one of the key advantages in possession has been Firpo’s presence on the left wing, with five assists in just 12 games during the 13-game undefeated streak.
Sam Byram will have to replace Firpo for this game, and while the free signing has been quite reliable for us, it will undoubtedly be a possession decrease.
The fact that Byram is right-footed puts him at a disadvantage when attempting to provide what Firpo does when getting to the byline beyond Crysencio Summerville, as evidenced by the four assist disparity between the two players.
It requires Summerville to play a larger role out wide than he has in the past, which may be concerning considering that every team is doubling and occasionally tripling up on the Dutchman.
