Leeds United played their first internationals on Thursday night.
Despite a slew of international stars being out injured, the Whites are once again the team with the most players abroad with their various countries during the Championship.
Ethan Ampadu, Ilia Gruev, Manor Solomon, Dan James, and Max Wober are all now on the sidelines and so unable to go for international service.
Daniel Farke will be hoping that his players recover to full health and do not add to his injury list, since a Friday night Yorkshire derby against Sheffield United is scheduled for next week.
Brenden Aaronson is already a question for Leeds, with the USA’s second match away in Mexico not starting until 3.30am (BST) on Wednesday morning.
Mateo Joseph, a Leeds star, makes an impression on the world scene.
Mateo Joseph and Ao Tanaka were the first two Leeds players to play during this break on Thursday, with the former having a fantastic night.
Despite having already scored twice for Spain’s U21s, Joseph made his debut against Kazakhstan and wasted little time demonstrating his abilities.
Joseph scored a hat-trick in the first half as Spain won 4-3 on the night, with the Leeds star departing just before the hour mark after an impressive performance.
Brenden Aaronson is already a question for Leeds, with the USA’s second match away in Mexico not starting until 3.30am (BST) on Wednesday.
Mateo Joseph from Leeds impresses on the international stage.
Mateo Joseph and Ao Tanaka were the first two Leeds players to play during the break on Thursday, with the former having a fantastic evening.
Despite having already scored twice for Spain’s U21s, Joseph received his first start against Kazakhstan and lost no time demonstrating his abilities.
Joseph scored a hat-trick in the first half as Spain won 4-3 on the night, with the Leeds star leaving just before the hour mark after a strong performance.
All three of Joseph’s goals came from inside the six-yard box, and while the defending was not very great, it demonstrates what he can accomplish when given the right opportunity.
Joseph, who was benched for the first time at Sunderland seven days ago, would want to utilize the experience to bolster his confidence when he returns to club football.
Joseph has only scored once for Leeds this season, but he has demonstrated all of the other qualities required to win at Championship level.
Spanish journalist hails ‘sublime’ Joseph is expected to lead Spain at the World Cup in 2026, and his performance for the U21s will help him achieve this goal.
Spanish journalist Jonay Amaro was really delighted with what he observed from Joseph last night, notably his’sublime’ attitude.
He wrote: “While it is true that Kazakhstan has been a defensive shambles in the first half, Mateo Joseph has had a superb attitude.
“A hat-trick from a committed individual. His accomplishments are the result of hard work, not the ease with which his opponent performed.”
