Leeds United 'crazy' consideration as Daniel Farke gives injury latest and Harry Gray update — YEP 30/12/24

By Graham Smyth

Chief football writer

Daniel Farke does not know if he can count on Sam Byram to start a third game in seven days after a 'crazy' and unexpected amount of football for the defender.

When Byram came back to the club as a free agent signing in Farke's first summer in charge, it was a piece of transfer business that had an asterisk if not a question mark. His 'injury CV' as Farke would call it made it doubtful that the veteran would be able to start every game of a brutal Championship campaign. But while there were hamstring problems to contend with in the 2023/24 season, Byram played a lot more than some might have anticipated. He started 24 games and came off the bench a further nine times, accumulating almost 2,000 minutes of action at right-back and left-back.

Junior Firpo's run of form and availability at left-back, coupled with the arrival of Jayden Bogle at right-back, took the pressure off Byram at the start of this season. He did not start a single league game until the end of October. But Firpo running into injury troubled, a knee problem that has plagued Max Wober and Farke's reluctance to put the largely untested Isaac Schmidt in from the start has given Byram all the football he can handle. More than Leeds thought he could handle, in fact. He has started 10 of the last 13 and put in two 90-minute shifts in three days to help Farke's side beat Stoke City and Derby County.

Firpo remains out and Wober only returned to training on Sunday for a light session, so Farke may once again turn to Byram for the New Year's Day clash at Elland Road with Blackburn Rovers. If the 31-year-old is able, of course.

"I don't know to be honest," said Farke. "He's delivering much more than I expected but what should we do? Junior and Max are out. We faced a side [Derby] who are number one in set-pieces in this league, we needed his strengths for this. We have Isaac [Schmidt] but he's a more offensive minded player and playing behind Largie [Ramazani] against so many good headers we needed Sam's steel.

"He's playing much more football than we expected him to be able to do. But he's so professional, he works so much on his recovery. We try everything. We'll put him in the ice baths, I'm not sure I'll allow him to come out early because we need him and his experience and maturity. I can't tell you if he's ready to go again on New Year, it's a crazy load for him. We'll try everything in order to make him available."

Farke was happy to report that there appeared to be no fresh injuries sustained in the 1-0 win at Derby and Wober is making progress in his attempt to return to full fitness. But teenager Sam Chambers is currently hampered with a knee injury of his own.

"Right now Sam is struggling with his knee and unable to train," said Farke. "Max is still out. Trained yesterday for the first time with us but a low intensity session, I hope his reaction is alright and I hope he's back available pretty soon. It looks a bit better with him."

As for Harry Gray, the 16-year-old has not yet returned to team training with the senior side following a back problem that cropped up towards the end of Leeds' pre-season training camp in Germany. Farke says Gray will be allowed to ease himself back into action with the Under 21s when he's ready.

"He was not back in our team training," said Farke. "Lots of individual stuff in his rehab work. His first steps is more like the Under 21s level, we won't rush him. He should get a first taste of senior football in the summer. It was always the plan to let him develop calmly more or less with the Under 21s. Right now after his longterm injury he'll make his steps further on with the Under 21s. There will be a time when he's involved in training but at the moment it's right not to rush."