Leeds United

Adam Pope
BBC Radio Leeds reporter

Leeds United boss Daniel Farke has been speaking to the media before his side return to Championship action against Sheffield United at Elland Road on Friday (20:00 BST kick-off).

Here are the main lines from his news conference:

• Max Wober (knee) is recovering from surgery ahead of schedule but will miss the derby along with long-term injury absentees Ethan Ampadu and Illia Gruev.

• Wingers Dan James and Manor Solomon are back in full training and are available after injury. Ao Tanaka, Junior Firpo, Willy Gnonto and Brenden Araonson will be assessed when they return from international duty. "We need to make some late decisions as need to wait until all players are back," said Farke.

• The Whites boss said he has not had to speak too much with goalkeeper Ilan Meslier after his mistake at Sunderland: "He’s experienced. We didn't have to analyse it too much. It was a situation - it happens once in a lifetime. Most disappointed player in the dressing room [was Meslier]. You're suffering for two or three days, then you get on with it."

• On Senegal international Cheikhou Kouyate, who has been linked as a signing: "I never confirm any names and I won't speak about players who are not under contract with us. I just speak about our players. We have a few ideas and we're carefully optimistic we'll be able to bring in a good solution in the upcoming days or weeks, but I cannot say names. We're not too far from making a decision with the next two weeks."

• Asked about what atmosphere the game will be played in after the death of former Sheffield United defender George Baldock at the age of 31 last week, Farke said: "Always difficult with such a tragedy. Our thoughts are there with him and his family. Even a few players in our squad have played with him. It's unbelievably sad news. It's not easy to get on with it in first few days - you're lost for words and football is not important in this moment. The life of a human being is always more important than any point."

• On preparing for the game: "It's always tricky during the international break for a team with so many players away. I'm struggling to understand the fixture list - playing on Friday night after the international break. We have players who arrive late today. When we play on Saturday, you have at least one training session with the team."

• He added: "It is a bit disappointing and sad because it's a great game. Normally both teams want to be at their best. We knew about the schedule list and, for that, no complaints. Tricky without team training to prepare but we want to find good solutions."

Listen to West Yorkshire Sport Daily, weeknights at 18:00, and subscribe to BBC Radio Leeds' Don't Go To Bed Just Yet podcast on BBC Sounds

On the latest episode of My Mate's A Footballer, Patrick Bamford reveals that the Leeds squad have to pay for the meals they eat at the training ground, with the cost getting deducted from their salary.

Listen to the podcast on BBC Sounds

Senegal midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate, 34, had a medical at Leeds United on Tuesday as a free agent following his summer departure from Nottingham Forest. (Football Insider, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

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Cheikhou Kouyate has been at Leeds United's training ground over the international break, but any deal to sign the former Premier League midfielder is "very much in the balance" according to BBC Radio Leeds' Adam Pope.

Speaking about Kouyate on the latest Don't Go To Bed Just Yet podcast, Pope said: "There seems to be some dispute about what's been going on here - but he's a free agent, he's probably best known for his time at West Ham and Palace as well.

"He's a free agent, Senegal international and as I understand he has been round Thorpe Arch but it was very much in the balance as to whether any deal would be done.

"We know [Daniel] Farke doesn't like a free agent particularly, but needs must in difficult times - that's not to say a deal won't be done but it's very much in the balance. I don't know if they're both convinced it's what they all want.

"But as far as I know he's been up there for a little while."

Kaiser Chiefs' bassist Simon Rix added: "To me if I was at Leeds United, with everyone that has been injured and gone off on international break, the people that are left can't train properly as there isn't enough warm bodies!

"To get a few free transfers in for training sessions with that kind of experience - I think it's a great idea and something that can be done more often.

"Obviously [Kouyate] isn't the first choice person because they'd have signed him already. Having a few extra people around the training ground and squad would be a good thing because the squad may be too thin.

"Sometimes you just need extra people who maybe won't play but they're around in case the worst happens."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Football returns this Friday and it is a derby night under the lights of Elland Road as Leeds United host Sheffield United.

BBC Radio Leeds' Jonny Buchan, Adam Pope and Kaiser Chiefs bassist Simon Rix preview that important game on the latest episode of the Don't Go To Bed Just Yet podcast.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Leeds United, Everton and Fulham are interested in Steaua Bucharest's 28-year-old Cameroon centre-back Joyskim Dawa, who has a release clause in the region of £4m. (Mirror)

Want more transfer stories? Read Sunday's full gossip column

Senegal midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate, 34, is one of a small number of free agents Leeds United are considering signing. (Yorkshire Evening Post), external

Want more transfer news? Read Friday's full gossip column

Leeds striker Patrick Bamford has pulled back the curtain on the players' pre-match meals, with even customisable pasta options available.

"The majority of players, probably about 80%, will have pasta before a game," he told the My Mate's a Footballer podcast.

"Either pasta or Gnocchi or something like that. There's loads of options. We have to fill a form in on the way. It's like pre-ordering.

"The rest of the staff, physios and stuff usually won't have the pasta. They'll make use of the hotel buffet. Whatever is available. It's all healthy in our section but they eat with us in the evening then some sneak away to the main hotel bit for breakfast.

"On the way down we'll get sent a Google sheets form where you put in your name and it says you have a choice of one of the pastas; Penne, Gnocchi, Gluten Free Penne or Fusilli.

"Those are the pasta options then the sauce options, and you can mix and match if you want, are green pesto, healthy bechamel white sauce, tomato and basil sauce, olive oil and red pesto.

"Then you can add as many of these as you want; peppers, chestnut mushrooms, peas, diced tomatoes, red onions, spinach, chicken, king prawns, chilli flakes, feta, cheddar and parmesan.

"You can put in what you like."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

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Leeds United forward Patrick Bamford has been revealing all about how he turned to a sports psychologist to help him deal with his injuries, after reaching a point where he "hated" watching his own team play from the sidelines.

In a special edition of the 72+:The EFL Podcast, Bamford said: "At the time, I didn't even think I needed a sports psychologist. It was just one of those things that was suggested to me.

"When I really started to notice it helping me, it was when my injuries came. When I was out injured for so long, it actually got to a point where I hated watching my own team play.

"It sounds so strange, but it used to give me the feeling of anxiety or depression or something. Regardless of whether we won, drew or lost, I would just be in the worst mood after watching a game.

"I just couldn't shake it until I had spoken to my psychologist.

"I actually remember that I went through a period where I just wouldn't watch the games, just until I had gotten to a point where I was comfortable with it all again.

"So he helped me a lot through the injury process and with setting my goals, but obviously when you start playing again, the focus starts to change again."

Listen to the full podcast special on BBC Sounds

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On the latest edition of the BBC's 72+: The EFL Podcast, Aaron Paul and Jobi McAnuff present a special episode with Leeds striker Patrick Bamford.

Bamford talks openly about life at Elland Road after missing out on promotion last season and his relationships with current boss Daniel Farke and previous managers Marcelo Bielsa and Sam Allardyce, while comparing the three.

The 31-year-old also reveals what it has been like coping with injuries and angry supporters turning up outside his home.

Listen now on BBC Sounds

Adonis Storr
Fan writer

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With one second of injury-time left last Friday night, away at then-Championship leaders Sunderland; at a ground where no away team had left with even a point, a wayward cross flicked off Junior Firpo's head, landed in what Pascal Struijk described as a "hole", spun wickedly past Illan Meslier and into Leeds United's empty net.

It looked like Meslier had made a huge error but on analysis it was the kind of freak occurrence where the impact was magnified by the time, setting and the player it involved.

The frustrations of Leeds fans with Meslier have been simmering under the surface for some time.

Meslier has consistently underperformed against the statistic that attempts to define a goalkeeper's shot-stopping ability – post-shot expected goals minus goals allowed. Over-performing goalkeepers are in credit, under-performers have a negative score.

Meslier has never been in credit with this metric at Leeds. In this season's Championship he sits 18th, the same place he finished last season. In the last two Premier League campaigns Meslier was 20th and 19th respectively and in the past five seasons he has conceded 35 goals more than statistically expected.

Meslier is 24 and years away from the average peak for goalkeepers. He is likeable, and has potential, but can Leeds afford to keep waiting for him to improve?

The Frenchman seems nervous at times, his distribution is a shadow of the display away at Arsenal in the FA Cup in January 2020, where he dazzled, spraying inch-perfect long passes all around the Emirates. He has saved one penalty in 20 for Leeds, and conceding record-breaking numbers at times in the Premier League looks like it has hurt his confidence.

It was a freak incident that provoked the discussion, but do Leeds need to find a new goalkeeper in January?

Find more from Adonis Storr at The Roaring Peacock, external

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Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier gifted Sunderland a point on Friday as the two promotion rivals played out a 2-2 draw.

In the latest episode of BBC Radio Leeds' Don't Go To Bed Just Yet podcast, Jonny Buchan and Adam Pope discussed whether or not the goalkeeper should be dropped following the international break.

"If Daniel Farke takes him out for the next game after the international break, that's Illan Meslier done with Leeds United," Buchan said. "It says that the manager has taken him out for that one error. You cannot do that.

"We were only talking recently about the amount of clean sheets he has kept."

Pope added: "It's a horrific error whichever way you want to look at it - but I agree.

"Sheffield United at home is the next game, which is a huge game under the spotlight. Sheffield United will be doing their best to give Meslier a hard time but if he takes him out of that game, he's basically telling him he doesn't trust him in the big games.

"I don't get the impression that he's about to do that. He wanted to speak about all the positive stuff in that game, which included a brilliant save from Meslier at the beginning when he was then let down by others afterwards. I don't see him pulling him out."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

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Kaiser Chiefs bassist and Leeds United fan Simon Rix believes the Whites were able to make Sunderland look "pretty average" during the 2-2 draw on Friday evening.

Speaking to BBC Radio Leeds' Don't Go To Bed Just Yet podcast this week, Rix said: "They had a nice spell at the start but for most of the game I thought we made them look pretty average. We played well.

"My main thing is, we would have taken a point at the beginning of the game and it's another team that is ticked off that we've seen them play, a good team, who I don't think are as good as Leeds.

"At the end their fans were having massive celebrations at getting a point from something that wasn't skilful or from anything they did. They punted a ball and a mistake or some bad luck has meant they have fluked a point against Leeds.

"There are a lot of positives about Leeds at the moment that we can draw on."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

A new episode of BBC Radio Leeds' Don't Go To Bed Just Yet has landed on BBC Sounds.

There is much to commend after a draw at league leaders Sunderland but Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier left the world of football aghast after his howler saw a draw grasped from the jaws of victory.

Jonny Buchan, Adam Pope and Kaiser Chiefs' bassist Simon Rix provide all the analysis, opinion and reaction from an eventful night at the Stadium of Light.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Kalvin Phillips has joined his former Leeds United team-mate Patrick Bamford to offer insight into what it's like to be managed by Marcelo Bielsa at Elland Road on the latest My Mate's A Footballer podcast.

Phillips, who spent 12 years at Leeds United, also reveals how the Argentine manager named his squad by numbers in his first-ever team meeting at the club and turned him into a defensive midfielder in the process.

Listen to the full podcast on BBC Sounds

Speaking to BBC Radio Leeds' Don't Go To Bed Just Yet podcast this week, Kaiser Chiefs bassist and Leeds United fan Simon Rix aired his concerns about the already fine margins in the Championship promotion race.

"I can see that if we only get the one point [at Sunderland] then people might freak out. It is very fine margins in this league, so looking at one point from six everyone on social media is crazy, mad and angry.

"You'd think, come the end of the season, that Norwich, Sunderland and Leeds will all be challenging for the play-offs. If you could pick some teams to play on that Saturday-Tuesday-Friday schedule you would not pick your direct rivals for those spots.

"If it's two points from the two games then everyone is more of the mindset of: 'OK, not a bad point on the road here and there.' But one thing is for sure, it would then make the next home game a must win."

Leeds head to Sunderland on Friday with a chance to go level on points with the Black Cats at the top of the table.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds