The future of West Ham United defender Vladimir Coufal has taken a twist as an update emerges on a potential new deal in east London.

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David Moyes and his Irons side have enjoyed an absolutely terrific start to the new Premier League season, coming after they sold former superstar Declan Rice to Arsenal for £105 million in the summer transfer window.

The departure of Rice was seen as a major worry for West Ham, but so far, they have shown that the absence of their ex-powerhouse is proving little issue.

Summer signing Edson Alvarez has excelled in the 24-year-old's stead, impressing national media with some of his displays in claret and blue.

West Ham have also bolstered their coaching department with the appointments of John Heitinga, Mark Robson and Henry Newman, who will assist Moyes behind-the-scenes at Rush Green.

“I would like to welcome John to West Ham United and also welcome Mark and Henry into the first-team group," said Moyes to the club's official website.

“John is someone I have known for a long time. He has gained some very good experience since beginning his coaching career in the Ajax Academy and working his way up to their first-team. Mark and Henry are both already familiar to everyone here at the Club and have deserved the opportunity to step up within our structure.

“John, Mark and Henry will each bring experience in different areas and complement the strengths we already have in the coaching team alongside Billy, Kevin and Xavi. I look forward to working with them and building on the positive start we have made to the new season.”

It is also believed that the Hammers are eyeing up former star Jesse Lingard to further reinforce their ranks ahead of a tough and congested campaign of fixtures.

Their promising start to the 2023/2024 season has also seen some members of the West Ham squad thrive compared to last term, like striker Michail Antonio and Coufal.

Concerning the latter player, there has been a very interesting update on his future.

Will Vladimir Coufal leave West Ham?

Indeed, the Czech Republic international has seemingly re-established himself as Moyes' preferred right-back, coming after he was usurped in favour of Thilo Kehrer over 22/23.

Journalist Pete O'Rourke, writing for Football Insider, has now claimed that initial talks have been opened over extending Coufal's stay at the club.

The 31-year-old's current terms are set to expire at the end of this season, and while they have the option to extend by a further 12 months, it is believed West Ham are plotting to reward his exceptional performances thus far.

Coufal "could even land a new deal" following his "impressive" start, with the full-back having "turned his career around" under Moyes.

He is currently preferred over fellow right-back Ben Johnson, who is yet to play a single second in the top flight.

While Johnson's contract is also set to expire at the end of the current campaign, it appears Coufal is the one currently in line for fresh terms as things stand.

It will be very interesting to find out the conditions of this potential contract for Coufal, who was also a "key member" of the Conference League-winning squad.

Pep Guardiola responded with a sarcastic dig to Mauricio Pochettino's claims that Chelsea could have beaten Manchester City.

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City equalised late to earn a drawPochettino "proud" of Chelsea's displayGuardiola seemed to believe otherwise(C)Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

City and Chelsea battled to a 1-1 draw at the Etihad Stadium, with Raheem Sterling and Rodri scoring for their respective teams in a tense Premier League encounter. After the match, Pochettino expressed his satisfaction with Chelsea's performance and commended his team's spirit and resilience against the reigning champions. He even suggested that City are the best team in the world before once again lavishing praise on his defenders who kept Erling Haaland & Co. in check.

AdvertisementWHAT POCHETTINO SAID

"I’m so pleased. I told the players I feel so proud," said Pochettino. "In the last three games we’ve started to create a very good spirit. That’s the way we want to build our team. Today was a very good opportunity to show we’re going where we want… In the second half they force you to go deep, but we created chances to score the second goal and things could have been different. It’s important that the players realise that football is really competitive and to reach the level we want, we need to suffer."

He added: "But I think we sustained the effort and we created chances that we should score and win the game. I am so happy."

HOW DID GUARDIOLA RESPOND

However, when Pochettino's comments were brought to Guardiola's attention, the City manager responded with a touch of sarcasm.

"Good, congratulations," Guardiola told . "If he believes that, that is good for his team."

Despite the dig, Guardiola acknowledged Chelsea's challenge but also praised his team's second-half performance.

"We knew it [Chelsea would be a challenge]," Guardiola added. "That was a good game. We played incredible in the second half. The first half was not our levels but to compete against them teams you have to play 90 minutes not just one half."

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

After sharing the spoils with Chelsea, City cannot overtake Liverpool even with their game in hand against Brentford on Tuesday. The Reds emerged 4-1 triumphant against the Bees before City took the pitch and will head into Matchday 26 as the leaders of England.

The former India offspinner replaces Venkatesh Prasad, who has now taken up a coaching role with Kings XI Punjab in the ongoing IPL

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Apr-2018Aashish Kapoor, the former India offspinner, has replaced Venkatesh Prasad as the chairman of India’s junior selection committee. Kapoor joins Gyanendra Pandey and Rakesh Parekh in the committee.Prasad quit the role in March and joined Kings XI Punjab for the ongoing IPL season. During his tenure, India reached the Under-19 World Cup final twice, and won the title earlier this year. Keeping both positions would have left Prasad on the wrong side of the conflict of interest rules as advocated by the Lodha panel.Kapoor played four Tests and 17 ODIs for India between 1994 and 2000. He was part of the World Cup squad in 1996 and the XI for the semi-final against Sri Lanka. Kapoor had a successful domestic career, taking 398 wickets in 128 first-class matches in addition to scoring 3449 runs.

After losing Declan Rice, David Moyes' main two goals would have been to strengthen his West Ham United side using the reported £105m gained from the sale to Arsenal, and avoid any other major exit. With the summer transfer window closed, the former Manchester United boss can comfortably place two bold ticks in both boxes.

The Hammers have welcomed some big names, like Mohammed Kudus, whilst keeping hold of players linked with a move away, such as Lucas Paqueta. When it comes to departures though, the desire of the player can be crucial, and Moyes got a first-hand glimpse at that in the summer, with reports emerging that a West Ham star had ample opportunity to leave the club in the summer transfer window.

The player in question opted to repay the manager's faith in him, however, and now a report may have revealed the two unnamed Premier League clubs reportedly chasing his signature.

What's the latest West Ham United transfer news?

Reports suggest that West Ham did well to lose only Rice in the summer transfer window, and have had their stubborn nature in the market repaid ever since, remaining unbeaten in four Premier League games.

One player they did particularly well to keep a hold of is Nayef Aguerd. According to Roshane Thomas of The Athletic, the defender received offers from Saudi Arabia and two unnamed mystery suitors, but rejected every offer, opting to repay the faith that Moyes showed in him during his debut season at the club.

It now seems as though the two unnamed European clubs could have been revealed. According to The Sun, via West Ham Zone, both Liverpool and Manchester City are monitoring the centre-back, as they look to improve their defensive options. With that said, it wouldn't be a shock if the two unnamed suitors who provided Aguerd with an offer over the summer turned out to be the two Premier League giants.

How has Nayef Aguerd performed so far this season?

After struggling to stay fit during his debut season at the club, missing a total of 22 games for West Ham, some may have been worried about the lack of impact that Aguerd was having at the London Stadium.

With four games gone this season, however, those doubters have been silenced. The Morrocon has featured in three of the Hammers' four Premier League games, and was on course for a perfect start until he received his marching orders in a victory over Chelsea after he initially scored the opening goal.

Back from suspension, Aguerd will face his toughest test yet this season, up against Manchester City, but, given the form he and his side have shown, a shock may well be on the cards.

It's a major credit to the work that Moyes has done that their game against City is a top of the table clash which could see the London club climb top of the Premier League table, if only temporarily. There's no doubt that Aguerd will be at the centre of that result should it take place after repaying Moyes' faith this season.

Chelsea legend Frank Leboeuf has defended Mauricio Pochettino by insisting that even Pep Guardiola couldn't have led the club to success this season.

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• Leboeuf claims Chelsea were in shambles
• Even Pep would have failed to guide them to success
• Chelsea take on Liverpool in Carabao Cup final

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Leboeuf, who spent five years at Stamford Bridge between 1996 and 2001, has expressed his beleif that the club was in a "shambles" when Mauricio Pochettino took charge of the team ahead of the 2023-24 season. The Frenchman went on to claim that not even a manager of Pep Guardiola's calibre could have led the Blues to success this season.

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• WHAT FRANK LEBOEUF SAID

  Speaking to , the former defender said: "When Mauricio Pochettino signed for Chelsea, there was not a ‘right man’ for the job – the club was a shambles. You could have put anybody in there, even Pep Guardiola, and I don’t think they would have done anything special with this Chelsea team because an instant solution was impossible to find.

  "Now we are starting to see a bit of light at the end of the tunnel after the games against Aston Villa and Manchester City, but it is all about consistency. We can see how Pochettino is working with the players and the confidence that he is building with them, but there is still a long way to go. I think Pochettino is the last person to blame for the situation at Chelsea. I’m not even sure that I would’ve taken the Chelsea job at the time he did, because although the money might be good it is hard to know where to even start with actually managing the team! He had the guts to take it on and he is doing well."

  He added: "Sometimes the criticism of Pochettino is fair but he has not been without problems and injuries and he has done his best. Everybody was saying that Chelsea didn’t know how to defend without Thiago Silva, but then we saw against Manchester City that they are more than capable. Axel Disasi showed last weekend, against a cyborg in Erling Haaland, that he can handle it.

  "When Pochettino puts his confidence in his players, they have shown that they can produce good performances like they have recently against Aston Villa and Manchester City. Hopefully, we are going to see the result of Pochettino’s hard work very soon."

• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Former Tottenham manager Pochettino did not have the best of starts to his journey with Chelsea as the club managed to register just eight Premier League wins out of 20 games in the first half of the season. They were plagued with multiple injuries, which certainly didn't help Pochettino, but he has still faced criticism for failing to bring the best out of a squad full of big-money signings. Chelsea have been performing more consistently since the start of the new year, though, and are on the verge of winning their first trophy this season as they gear up to take on Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

  After facing the Reds on Sunday at Wembley, Pochettino's side will next take on Leeds United in an FA Cup fifth-round clash on February 28.

Leeds United may have strengthened well in the summer, but there remain holes left by the damaging departures they were forced to oversee throughout a tumultuous summer.

The exit of Rodrigo saw them lose out on their key goalscorer, whilst Tyler Adams' move to AFC Bournemouth marked the second consecutive summer that they had lost their midfield orchestrator, after Kalvin Phillips' departure in 2021. Even Max Wober, who only joined in January, quickly grew into their most reliable defensive asset at the back, remaining solid when others could not.

So, with all three of them having now left Elland Road, it was no mean feat for Daniel Farke to find their replacements.

Joel Piroe is expected to offer an alternative to the former, whilst Glen Kamara hopes to be a like-for-like replacement for the USA international. However, when it came to the former RB Salzburg titan, Joe Rodon's signing arguably marked the most perfect one to fill such a vacancy, with power, poise and pure control at centre-back.

However, the only issue that remains is that the Wales international is not a permanent fix, having only joined on a loan deal from Tottenham Hotspur. No matter how bright his start, or how imperious he remains throughout the Championship campaign, the 25-year-old will likely be recalled next summer for Ange Postecoglou to reassess his future.

This will make it all the more painful when they lose a man who is already maintaining a 7.13 average rating in the second tier, buoyed by his 92% pass accuracy, 100% dribble success rate, 1.3 interceptions and 3.8 clearances per game, via Sofascore.

The Whites have merely plugged a hole in signing the defender, with a long-term replacement for Wober still needed. Fortunately, they boast an academy full of talent just waiting to be unleashed.

How good was Max Wober?

Although an unassuming signing, given Jesse Marsch was merely recruiting another of his former players after the failures Brenden Aaronson and Rasmus Kristensen proved to be, the Austrian stalwart quickly proved himself to be a cut above these two flops.

The 25-year-old had shone in his homeland, but translating those talents into the Premier League posed a completely different challenge, especially with the specifications his role demands.

Given how the modern-day centre-back is forever evolving, with power and strength just as important as ability on the ball nowadays, many wondered how the 25-year-old would stand up to the physical demands of a division famed for its high-octane games.

But, with a 6.84 average rating across his 16 appearances, it is fair to say he largely succeeded. An admirable figure buoyed by a host of stellar defensive statistics, his 71% pass accuracy was saved by his 1.7 interceptions, 1.6 tackles and four clearances per game, via Sofascore.

His rating actually made him Leeds' third-best performer in the league of those who started five or more games, and earned praise from Javi Gracia: "What I can say about Max, as everybody knows when he was available he played as a centre-back playing with Robin in the middle and he had very good performances."

The Spaniard would rush to laud him on another occasion too, outlining the immediate partnership he had struck up with Robin Koch: "In my opinion, both centre backs played really well today. They had a tough challenge. As you say with a very tall player and all the defensive line was very concentrated and the good work of the team meant we got a clean sheet."

So, to find a replacement for one of their few shining lights in an otherwise dull season will be no mean feat. Whilst many might suggest Charlie Cresswell as his natural successor from the academy, given his domineering characteristics and recent experience gained out on loan, there is perhaps another quietly shining in the background, biding his time before Farke hands him his chance.

Who is James Debayo?

James Debayo may be just 18 years old, but already he has begun making a name for himself in Yorkshire for his immense defensive displays for the youth sides.

It is a testament to both his maturity and his physicality that he has already been promoted into the U21s, having featured in their first four Premier League 2 games of the new season, three of which were wins.

To emphasise this point further, the teenage colossus actually already has 19 appearances for that side, and is just two shy of already matching the amount of games he has played for the U18s. The speed with which he is rising through the ranks is commendable and surely has caught the eye.

Even last year journalist Joe Donnohue sought to mark him out, highlighting one fine performance: "Only played first 45 but was impressive before taking an early yellow card. Had to be withdrawn at the break due to the booking."

Although only a small sample size, the two brief appearances he made in the Football League Trophy last season highlighted his defensive prowess, as despite averaging just 51 minutes per game, he still mustered 1.5 interceptions and two clearances per game, via Sofascore.

With Wober clearly being a defence-first centre-back, allowing his passing to suffer as long as he remains staunch at the back, it seems Debayo too shares this warrior-like trait which could help him to thrive in the Championship.

However, a clip shared from the Rising Ballers account instead showcases a trickery that could allow him to even surpass the Austria international, pairing his solidity with a silkiness that Elland Road has been lacking in recent years.

Then, as if the youngster needed additional aid in promoting his talents, he already has grown into a mainstay for England's U18s side, having been handed his debut by Neil Ryan.

Given Farke's ability to replace the talent he has lost, showcased throughout the summer, it is no surprise that with Wober he pushed the long-term option down the road with a shrewd loan signing. Perhaps this was merely a financial decision, or perhaps his eye has in fact been caught by one of the young defenders tearing up the academy scene, just waiting to be given their big chance to shine in the senior squad.

The Colorado Rapids are expected to appoint Tottenham Hotspur assistant Matt Wells as their next head coach, according to a report from The Athletic. Wells, 37, would be stepping into his first senior managerial role and would become one of the youngest head coaches in MLS when he arrives ahead of the 2026 season.

AFPA diverse coaching background

Wells is currently part of Thomas Frank’s staff at Spurs and previously worked under Ange Postecoglou, where he took on significant responsibility during training sessions and match preparation.

Before returning to North London, Wells served as an assistant to Scott Parker at Fulham, Bournemouth and Club Brugge – a stretch that included promotions and European experience. He also began his coaching career in Tottenham’s academy, where he coached the club’s Under-18 side.

reports that Colorado has been encouraged by Wells’ background and potential, believing he fits the club’s desire for a cohesive approach between coaching and recruitment as it looks to elevate a young core.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWhy the Rapids targeted him

The Rapids interviewed a wide range of candidates, both domestically and abroad, before settling on Wells, according to the report. The club places an emphasis on alignment between the head coach and roster construction, and Wells has been involved in early offseason planning.

The squad includes several foundational pieces, led by U.S. international Paxten Aaronson, along with goalkeeper Zack Steffen, Rob Holding, Cole Bassett, Sam Vines, and Reggie Cannon.

Brazilian forward Rafael Navarro – who has 27 goals and 10 assists over the last two seasons – could still depart this winter after Colorado rejected a significant bid from Fluminense in the summer. A move would open a Designated Player slot for the club.

How this impacts Spurs…

Colorado and Arsenal share ownership through Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, yet the Rapids appear set to appoint an assistant from Tottenham, one of Arsenal’s rivals. The club previously interviewed former Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere during a past coaching search.

If Wells departs, it would mark the first notable change to Thomas Frank’s coaching staff since his arrival at Spurs. Wells is the only assistant from Postecoglou’s staff who remained in place and is viewed internally as a sharp tactical mind with inventive training methods.

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What comes next?

According to , Wells has long been seen as a young coach ready for his own project. A move to MLS would offer that opportunity, while signaling Colorado’s continued push toward a modern, aligned football identity under a first-time head coach.

The recent summer transfer window saw Manchester United end their search for a new number nine, with the Red Devils forking out roughly £72m in order to prise Danish sensation Rasmus Hojlund from Serie A side, Atalanta.

With manager Erik ten Hag having been forced to muddle through with Anthony Martial and Wout Weghorst as his senior centre-forward options last term – following the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo – the hope will be that young Hojlund can hit the ground running following his return from international duty.

In truth, the Red Devils have been crying out for a long-term solution in that number nine berth for a number of years, having too often sought out a short-term fix with the signings of the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Edinson Cavani and that man, Ronaldo.

Ever since Robin van Persie powered Sir Alex Ferguson and co to the Premier League title in 2012/13 with 26 top-flight goals, Old Trafford has been crying out for a prolific presence to lead the line in the hope of reviving those prior glory years.

In the case of Hojlund, the 20-year-old will need to avoid suffering a similar fate to that of United's last big-money centre-forward signing – Romelu Lukaku – with the Belgian hitman having underwhelmed both during his time in Manchester and since.

How much did Manchester United pay for Lukaku?

The towering marksman had first caught the eye of Premier League audiences after scoring 17 league goals during his season-long loan stint with West Bromwich Albion in 2012/13, memorably bagging a hat-trick to spoil Ferguson's farewell game in the 5-5 thriller at the Hawthorns on the final day of that campaign.

That was followed by a haul of 15 league goals while on loan at Everton the year after, with the former Anderlecht man subsequently scoring 87 goals in total for the Toffees after signing on a permanent deal in 2014.

Having seemingly seen enough to be impressed by the 6 foot 3 powerhouse over the previous five years or so, then-United boss Jose Mourinho – who had coached Lukaku at Stamford Bridge in the past – was keen on a reunion with his former asset at the Theatre of Dreams in the summer of 2017.

As it proved, the Red Devils willingly coughed up £75m in order to sign the Antwerp-born goal machine, with two goals on his league debut for the club appearing to suggest that it had been money well spent as far as Mourinho and co were concerned…

What went wrong for Lukaku at Man United?

While unable to have quite the impact that was expected, it was hardly a dismal debut season at United for Lukaku as he scored 27 goals and provided nine assists in 51 games in all competitions, with Ten Hag likely to count himself lucky if Hojlund can get anywhere close to such a tally.

That being said, however, the polarising figure would go on to net just a further 15 times in the following season as his form swiftly tumbled, with journalist Samuel Luckhurst stating at the time that the striker had been partly responsible for Mourinho's subsequent sacking due to his "woeful and costly finishing".

The misfiring asset wasn't only something of a liability in front of goal, however, with former title winner Lee Sharpe particularly critical at the time of the forward's hold-up play, stating: "I've never seen a centre forward with such a bad touch.

“If your centre forward can't hold the ball up, it makes it a very hard game".

While Luckhurst predicted that the marksman would "doubtless benefit from being coached by [Ole Gunnar] Solskjaer", his face didn't fit as far as the Norwegian was concerned, with the treble winner favouring a more fluid forward line in the second half of the 2018/19 campaign, involving the likes of Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford.

Alexis Sanchez

£350k

Paul Pogba

£290k

David De Gea

£200k

Romelu Lukaku

£180k

Juan Mata

£160k

Luke Shaw

£150k

Fred

£120k

Ashley Young

£120k

Nemanja Matic

£120k

Ander Herrera

£115k

Stats via Capology

That decline had partly been impacted by Lukaku's own admission that had "bulked up too much" following the 2018 World Cup, with club legend Gary Neville subsequently stating that the departing forward was "overweight", amid his impending move to Inter Milan in 2019.

How much did Man United sell Lukaku for?

To United's credit, a club that has typically been rather poor with regard to selling players – after leading the way in Europe over the last decade due to their negative net spend – managed to recoup almost all of their initial investment in Lukaku, after moving him on to Italy for £74m.

That sale proved a blessing for both parties as Belgium's record scorer rediscovered his scoring touch at San Siro, firing in 47 league goals combined across the next two seasons, while enjoying Scudetto success with Antonio Conte's side in 2020/21.

Such a golden period of consistency attracted the attention of clubs back in the Premier League – despite his mixed fortunes at United – with former employers Chelsea coughing up a mammoth £97.5m in order to prise Lukaku in the summer of 2021.

How much is Lukaku worth now?

The Blues must be kicking themselves to have invested so heavily in the £325k-per-week man only to have seen it blow up in their face, with the 109-cap international lasting just one season back in England before returning to Inter on loan last summer.

That reunion with the Italian giants did not prove a happy one, however, as Lukaku scored just 15 goals in all competitions last season after slipping behind Edin Dzeko in the attacking pecking order, with the 30-year-old subsequently souring his relations with the Nerazzurri after reportedly negotiating a move to rivals Juventus in the recent window.

Now back under the watchful eye of Mourinho at AS Roma, the Belgian's stock has fallen to such an extent that he is now said to be worth just €30m (£25m), according to CIES Football Observatory, with that £49m less than what Solskjaer and co sold him for just four years ago.

That would suggest that while it hasn't been said often in the post-Ferguson era at United, the club did hit the jackpot by managing to move on Lukaku so quickly and without taking a major financial hit – with the less said about his time at Old Trafford, the better.

Jordan Tunnicliffe admits that phone apps are an unwelcome distraction for Wrexham, with it difficult to keep eyes off the League Two table.

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Red Dragons have wobbled of lateStill in the hunt for top-three finishEager to avoid unwelcome distractionsWHAT HAPPENED?

The Red Dragons would prefer to keep collective focus locked on a “tough” promotion bid, with a difficult run of late seeing Phil Parkinson’s side pick up just two wins from their last eight games in all competitions and now locked in a battle for top-three finishes.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT TUNNICLIFFE SAID ABOUT WREXHAM

Tunnicliffe has said of efforts to avoid spending too much time looking at the fourth-tier standings: “League Two is a tough league. Notts County came up with us (via the play-offs) and neither of us have blown it away like we did last season. There are some good teams who you have to respect. You try and focus on yourselves, but there’s all these apps out there now on your phone, so it is easy to look at the table and the form of all the teams. You just have to be really disciplined and focus on yourself and each game as it comes. I know that’s boring and a cliche, but it is true. If you start looking ahead, then you’re not focusing on what you need to focus on. We need to focus on Tuesday and build from there.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Wrexham know what it takes to get over a promotion line, having claimed the National League title in record-breaking style last season, and Tunnicliffe hopes that will stand them in good stead. He added: “It is all to play for. We need to repeat what we did last season and that is show a killer instinct away from home. We were good on the road last season and we need to get back to that. Gillingham is gone now. What matters is how we respond. We have two more games this week and how we respond on Tuesday (at Forest Green) and Saturday (at home to Accrington Stanley) is what matters. Pick up maximum points from those two games and the table looks good again.”

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Getty/GOALWHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

The Red Dragons suffered a 1-0 defeat at Gillingham last time out, as their patchy away form continued, and will remain on the road for a meeting with Forest Green Rovers. They have 13 games left in which to collect enough points that will secure automatic promotion and avoid having to pick up another ticket for the play-off lottery.

Leeds United have the opportunity to cut the gap between themselves and Ipswich Town in second to within single digits at Elland Road this afternoon.

The Whites are currently ten points behind the Tractor Boys and would be seven points off the automatic promotion places with a victory today.

Ipswich then play host to league-leaders Leicester City on Boxing Day and this means that Leeds could be four points off second if results go their way within the next four days.

Daniel Farke's side are chasing automatic promotion back to the Premier League after the club was relegated from the top-flight at the end of last season.

A win against Kieran McKenna's men would be a huge boost to their hopes of sneaking into the top two before the end of the current campaign and the head coach could look to make some changes to his XI.

Latest Leeds team news

Ahead of this clash with Ipswich, Farke has provided an injury update on his squad as three players have been ruled out and two could return.

Versatile full-backs Jamie Shackleton, Stuart Dallas, and Sam Byram are all unavailable for selection as they deal with their respective injury issues. Phil Hay reported that Byram and Shackleton are both expected to be out of action until the turn of the year.

It was not all bad news, though, as it was also revealed that Ian Poveda, who was on international duty with Colombia, and Junior Firpo, who has returned to training following his injury issue, are both set to be in contention to feature.

Farke has also revealed that supporters can expect to see rotation in the team over the next few games as Leeds look to navigate the tricky festive period.

The congestion of games means that players have a lot of work to get through and resting and rotating the squad can help to avoid muscle injuries and fatigue heading into 2024.

With this in mind, Farke must now finally unleash winger Jaidon Anthony from the start over Daniel James, who has struggled over the last two games.

Dan James' last two performances in numbers

The Wales international played the full 90 minutes against Coventry last time out and failed to make an impact at the top end of the pitch as Leeds failed to win.

He was provided with 0.40 xG worth of chances by his teammates but failed to hit the back of the net and missed one 'big chance' in the process.

The former Manchester United forward only created one chance for his teammates and failed with all eight of his attempted crosses on the right flank.

That disappointing display came off the back of his struggles against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light in the club's previous match – a 1-0 loss on Wearside.

James did not register a single key pass or shot on goal in 75 minutes of action and also failed with all three of his attempted crosses on the night.

This means that the Leeds forward has produced zero goals and one key pass in 165 minutes of football, to go along with one 'big chance' missed and zero created, over the last two Championship games.

James' season in numbers

His last two performances have been off-colour in comparison to his form throughout the campaign as the winger has been impressive this season.

James had managed seven goals, four assists, and eight 'big chances' created in 15 league starts prior to those clashes with Sunderland and Coventry.

The Welsh whiz has averaged 1.8 key passes per game throughout the season so far in 20 appearances as he has showcased his ability to score and create goals on a regular basis from the flank.

His impressive displays have seen him become a consistent starter on the right of the attack for Farke but the busy festive schedule appears to have taken a toll on his displays, as evidenced by his poor statistics over the last two games.

Therefore, it could make sense to ditch him from the starting XI for this clash with Ipswich as Leeds will need energy and players who are fresh and ready to make an impact in such an important match.

This could open the door for Anthony to finally be unleashed as the young winger has the potential to be a key player for the Whites and this could be the game that he makes a name for himself in.

The statistics that show why Anthony should start

Leeds signed the attacker on loan from Premier League side Bournemouth over the summer but he has only started two league matches for the club so far.

His last start came against Stoke back in October and the talented gem created two chances and completed three of his five attempted dribbles in 71 minutes.

Despite that impressive outing, Anthony is still waiting for his third start of the 2023/24 Championship campaign and it could come this afternoon.

James has not done enough in the last two clashes to suggest that he deserves to keep his place and the Cherries loanee does have an excellent track record in the division.

He was promoted with Bournemouth at the end of the 2021/22 campaign and caught the eye with his terrific performances on the flank that term.

Progressive passes (5.59)

Top 5%

Expected Assisted Goals (0.25)

Top 10%

Shot-creating actions (4.26)

Top 8%

Progressive passes received (9.19)

Top 6%

Blocks (1.61)

Top 2%

As you can see in the table above, Anthony was a fantastic creative talent throughout the season with his ability to conjure up shooting opportunities for his teammates at an impressive rate.

He ended the campaign with a sublime return of eight goals, seven assists, and 17 'big chances' created in 38 league starts for the Cherries.

His former boss Scott Parker once described him as a player who goes "under the radar" and that has certainly been the case at Leeds as the 6 foot wizard is yet to really burst onto the scene in Yorkshire.

Farke must now finally unleash Anthony from the start against Ipswich to allow him to shine in a Whites shirt by using his creativity to contribute to what will, hopefully, be a crucial victory for the club.