James, Tanaka And Okafor To Start | 3-4-2-1 Leeds United Predicted Lineup Vs Birmingham City | OneFootball

Leeds United will face off against Birmingham City at the St. Andrew’s Stadium this Sunday as they look to secure a good result on the road in the FA Cup. The Whites managed to earn a hard-fought 2-2 draw away at Chelsea recently, so they will be full of confidence going into this cup game.

Daniel Farke will set his side up in a 3-4-2-1 formation and is expected to make a few changes to his first team for this clash. Daniel James, Ao Tanaka and Noah Okafor could all play from the start of this game.

3-4-2-1 Leeds United Predicted Lineup To Face Birmingham City

Defence

Karl Darlow will feature in between the sticks for the West Yorkshire club after he conceded two goals in his last outing. Farke could opt for a back three of James Justin, Joe Rodon and Sebastiaan Bornauw as they focus on keeping the opposition at bay during the 90 minutes.

Sam Byram will provide cover for the centre-back positions on the bench.

LEEDS, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 06: Jayden Bogle of Leeds United celebrates the 3rd Leeds goal with Noah Okafor during the Premier League match between Leeds United and Nottingham Forest at Elland Road on February 06, 2026 in Leeds, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Midfield

Ao Tanaka will anchor the midfield along with Ethan Ampadu as they look to establish their superiority over the opposition at the centre of the park.

Gabriel Gudmundsson will try to shine as the left-sided wide player, while Jayden Bogle looks to give a good account of himself on the right flank.

Brenden Aaronson and Daniel James will operate as Farke’s attacking midfielders. Their main job would be to carry most of the creative burden for the Whites in the final third.

Ilia Gruev and Ethan Ampadu will have to be content with a place on the bench as they wait for their chance to make an impact in the second 45 minutes if required. However, Anton Stach will be sidelined for this game due to injury.

Attack

Noah Okafor will lead the line for Leeds up top. He has to find a way to be a real threat in the final third.

Lukas Nmecha will have to settle for a spot on the Leeds bench and might come on to influence the game in the latter stages if the Whites are in need of a goal by then.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin is unlikely to recover in time for this game as he continues to recover from his illness.