A key Leeds United figure makes his return from injury for Saturday’s lunchtime showdown at Southampton for which Whites boss Daniel Farke has made some big calls with his side.
Patrick Bamford has yet to play this season after suffering a hamstring injury in a pre-season friendly against Hearts in July, but the attacker has just returned to squad training and has been named as a possible topic for the trip to St Mary’s by Farke.
The Whites’ number nine appears on the bench for the first time this season as Farke chooses an unchanged lineup despite Tottenham loanee centre-back Joe Rodon’s return from suspension and his other options within the team.
Rodon was suspended for last weekend’s 3-0 home triumph over Watford because he was serving a one-match ban for being sent out for a second booking in the midweek draw at Hull City. Captain Liam Cooper took the place of the Tottenham loanee, who made his first start since recuperating from a ruptured plantar fascia in the opening weekend stalemate against Cardiff City.
Cooper joined Pascal Struijk at center-back against the Hornets, and the pair will remain at the heart of the defence with Rodon on the bench. Jamie Shackleton also holds his spot at right back, with Luke Ayling remaining on the bench, while Glen Kamara gets his second start in midfield, alongside Ethan Ampadu, with Archie Grey remaining on the bench.Bamford replaces Mateo Joseph on the bench, while Rodon replaces Charlie Cresswell because neither Joseph nor Cresswell is involved.
Junior Firpo, Stuart Dallas, Willy Gnonto, and Djed Spence are still unavailable. Dallas has returned to training after a protracted recovery from a femoral fracture but is not yet involved, and Firpo had hip difficulties while recovering from ruptured lateral ligaments in his knee. Southampton manager Russell Martin has made four changes to his starting lineup, with Che Adams, Ryan Fraser, Shea Charles, and Mason Holgate all dropping to the bench. Kamaldeen Sulemana, Stuart Armstrong, Carlos Alcaraz, and Ryan Manning are all called up.
Southampton’s starting lineup is as follows: Bazunu, Walker-Peters, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Manning, Downes, Smallbone, Alcaraz, Kamaldeen, S Armstrong, and A Armstrong. McCarthy, Bree, Holgate, Edozie, Aribo, Fraser, Adams, Mara are the substitutes.
Meslier, Shackleton, Cooper, Struijk, Byram, Ampadu, Kamara, Summerville, James, Piroe, Rutter, Leeds United. Darlow, Ayling, Rodon, Gruev, Grey, Poveda, Anthony, Gelhardt, Bamford are the substitutes.
