Bijol To Start? | Predicted 4-3-3 Leeds United Lineup To Face West Ham United | OneFootball

After back-to-back defeats against Tottenham Hotspur and Burnley, Leeds United must bounce back on Saturday night, as they will host West Ham United at Elland Road. The Hammers are 19th in the Premier League standings and have yet to win a game under Nuno Espirito Santo, who replaced Graham Potter last month, days after being dismissed by Nottingham Forest following a clash with club owner Evangelos Marinakis.

Daniel Farke secured top-flight promotions with Norwich City but failed to defend the Premier League status on both occasions. He must be desperate to make it work this time around; however, injuries to several first-team stars have troubled the Whites in recent fixtures. The German must find the right balance, particularly up top, with Wilfried Gnonto, Noah Okafor, and Daniel James struggling for fitness.

Predicted 4-3-3 Leeds United Lineup To Face West Ham United

Defence

Although Lucas Perri is available again for selection, Farke decided to stick with Karl Darlow, who did well during the Brazilian’s injury absence. But the gaffer must make the call whether to rely again on the Welshman or restore his ‘number 1′. The Selecao custodian deserves the nod, as he has been brought in as the long-term solution in Leeds’ goal.

BURNLEY, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 18: Brenden Aaronson of Leeds United is challenged by Florentino Luis of Burnley during the Premier League match between Burnley and Leeds United at Turf Moor on October 18, 202,5 in Burnley, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

Jayden Bogle has made his presence known down the right and should keep his place over James Justin. Gabriel Gudmundsson has been the designated left fullback since his summer arrival. Joe Rodon is irreplaceable in deep defence, but he might partner with Jaka Bijol amid the uncertainty over Pascal Struijk’s availability through illness.

Midfield

Alongside Struijk, Ethan Ampadu is also a doubt for the weekend encounter. Farke would make a late decision on the duo and might change his set-up if the skipper fails a late fitness test. Anton Stach is also dealing with a broken finger and a rib injury, but is expected to feature as a ‘number 8’. Sean Longstaff would also operate box-to-box, exhibiting his ball-carrying ability and the creative spark. Ao Tanaka and Ilia Gruev could make it to the starting XI if Ampadu and Stach fail to recover in time.

The manager was forced to deploy Brendan Aaronson as a makeshift right-winger in recent games. The USMNT international should feature again, as we might see James operating from the other flank ahead of Jack Harrison. Okafor and Gnonto are making good progress in their rehab, but their minutes must be managed carefully to avoid further setbacks. Dominic Calvert-Lewin has lacked consistency, but his Premier League experience makes him the preferred ‘number 9’ option over Lukas Nmecha and Joel Piroe.