Junior Firpo’s availability uncertain for Leeds’ match against Derby

Leeds United’s manager, Daniel Farke, addressed the media ahead of the Championship fixture against Derby County, scheduled for Saturday at 12:30 GMT at Elland Road. The following are key takeaways and Farke’s comments from Thursday’s press conference. Regarding player availability, Sam Byram is sidelined due to a hamstring injury. Isaac Schmidt has resumed training following a hernia but is not yet prepared for a full 90 minutes of play. Junior Firpo’s participation is uncertain and will be decided closer to the game after he sustained a knock during training. Club captain Ethan Ampadu has returned to full training, and Farke is contemplating his return to play sooner than the previously anticipated mid-December timeframe. When asked if Patrick Bamford’s appearance before Mateo Joseph at Blackburn Rovers indicated improved fitness and overall training performance, Farke responded: Farke: “It’s the first time in a while he’s three to four weeks without injury. In training his confidence is coming back. It also depends on the game. It wasn’t a decision against Mateo, for example. Patrick with experience and smart movements in the box is a good solution when you need a goal. I’m quite grateful he’s in a good period where he’s training more and more. When you convince in training you have more chances to get more minutes – and you have to use minutes.” Addressing a question about whether he employs similar methods to Paul Warne, who granted his Derby team Monday off for psychological recovery following their late loss to Sheffield Wednesday, Farke commented: Farke: “Sometimes it depends on the gut feeling. Paul is pretty experienced. Sometimes you feel don’t talk too much, clear the head, instead of overloading them too much. But you can’t do this every week. I’m quite sure it’s the best solution for them if Paul thinks so. They are highly motivated to bounce back. They were unlucky and were on the front foot and quite easily could have won the game.” Regarding Paul Warne’s statement that he finds it hard to believe Farke is perceived to be under pressure and that no one could perform better in the role, Farke responded: Farke: “We’ve got a good relationship and obviously there is objective data that backs his words. Paul is experienced enough – it’s Leeds United and it’s always like such an emotional club. I don’t feel at all criticised or under pressure. We know what we’re doing. I knew when I signed the contract what an emotional club Leeds is – this club always polarises. Even during Marcelo [Bielsa’s] time there was criticism of his football or his approach. If you can’t handle the heat don’t go into the kitchen.” When questioned about his previous comment regarding a “quiet” January transfer window, specifically if this referred to the number of signings and if it precluded significant spending on a crucial player such as a number 10, Farke replied: Farke: “In general, I’m long enough in this business that some strange things can happen. You can never rule it out. You have to react to the reality. It’s a while till the window opens and till then I won’t comment too much on speculation. We have eight games before 1 January. Potentially some injuries to key players and how is the situation. If you ask me right now I don’t expect a busy January.”