Leeds United manager Daniel Farke has made two changes to his starting line-up for the Premier League visit of Tottenham Hotspur. The team news confirms the return of defenders Joe Rodon and forward Noah Okafor to the matchday squad after injury. Leeds sit 12th in the Premier League with 11 points from nine games, a record of two wins, five draws and two losses.
Farke confirmed the selection in a pre-game press conference ahead of the 12.30pm kick-off at Elland Road, a dedicated Remembrance fixture. He has shifted to a 3-5-2 formation, pairing Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha as two out-and-out strikers. Calvert-Lewin is the team's top scorer this season with three goals in nine appearances. Sean Longstaff comes into midfield in place of Harry Wilson, while Nmecha starts ahead of Daniel James. James Justin keeps his place in the back three alongside Nico Elvedi and Tarik Muharemović, with Jayden Bogle and Gabriel Gudmundsson operating as wing-backs. Captain Ethan Ampadu, who is one yellow card away from a suspension, anchors the midfield alongside Longstaff and Ao Tanaka. James Trafford starts in goal.
Joe Rodon is back in the squad for the first time this season after a lengthy absence, having returned to training ten weeks ago. Noah Okafor, who had been managing an adductor issue, has been passed fit for a place on the bench. Anton Stach, however, misses out due to a foot problem. The substitutes bench is bolstered by those returns, featuring goalkeeper Michael Zetterer, Melvin Bard, Jaka Bijol, Rodon, Ilia Gruev, Daniel James, Harry Wilson, Brenden Aaronson and Okafor.
Leeds go into the match sitting 12th in the Premier League table with 11 points from nine games. Their top scorer this season is Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who has netted three times in his nine appearances. The side's recent form has been mixed, with a win, two draws and two losses in their last five outings. That run includes a 1-1 draw with Manchester United, a goalless draw at Sunderland, a 2-0 loss at Bournemouth, and a 2-1 defeat at Arsenal. They have scored nine goals and conceded eight this season, leaving them 13 points behind league leaders Arsenal. Their next challenge is a trip to face Chelsea, who are fourth in the table, on Saturday 21 November.
The team in full is: Trafford; Bogle, Gudmundsson, Ampadu (c), Muharemović, Longstaff, Calvert-Lewin, Nmecha, Tanaka, Justin, Elvedi. Substitutes: Zetterer, Rodon, James, Wilson, Aaronson, Bijol, Okafor, Bard, Gruev.
More detail at Leeds United.com
