'Firpo out for weeks' - Farke faces the media

Adam Pope

BBC Radio Leeds reporter

9 December 2024

A seven-match home winning league run is the momentum that has built behind Leeds United as they head to Middlesbrough on Tuesday (20:00 GMT).

Here are the main lines from Daniel Farke's pre-match news conference:

On the injury front, Junior Firpo (hamstring) is out for four to six weeks. Sam Byram (also hamstring) could return against Boro but Jayden Bogle (muscle injury) will be a late call. Midfielder Ilia Gruev (knee) is back running but a few weeks away from returning to full training.
Farke said Firpo's absence was "heartbreaking news" but Leeds will not panic-buy another full back in January given he will be back at some point during that month.
On Joel Piroe and whether he has coached him differently this season now he has seven goals in 11 league starts: "He's always a striker who naturally likes to drop deeper to get the ball. He's special in his approach and we can't change that."
Farke said his side take Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder's claims that "Leeds are miles ahead of us" as "a compliment" but the German feels the Whites are "miles away from being a Premier League side".
He added Leeds will not be motivated by revenge after a 3-0 Carabao Cup defeat by Boro in August, saying "that game has no influence on this one" and that the Whites had been affected by Georginio Rutter's impending departure, adding "it was difficult to focus".
On Boro now: "For me, they are one of the best teams. They have many, many options. They are one of the best sides in this league that you can face."

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