Leeds United selection anxiety already mounting with doubts on player availability for Farke

The embers of the last international break have barely been extinguished, but Daniel Farke already has one eye on the Leeds United problems afoot after the next one. The Whites host Sheffield United in less than five weeks for an 8pm kick-off on the first Friday night back after the international fixtures.

While a lunchtime kick-off on the first Saturday back brought its own challenges for Farke, he knows losing another 16 hours of preparation time, against another pre-season promotion favourite, will make life a lot harder. Farke was only without Max Wober and Daniel James against Burnley, but he fears he may lose some of his players for the Blades fixture due to their international commitments.

The German had been asked about the upcoming benefits of two clear weeks, with weekend fixtures, to prepare his side properly. Farke would have preferred a win and a tight turnaround for a Tuesday fixture.

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“I tell you what I would have preferred today: three points and just two days between the next games,” he said. “That's what I would prefer, but I also know we are always more spot-on in our game when we have a whole week of training.

“It's a topic for each and every team. It's always beneficial to have time on the training pitch. We know no other team on this level is perhaps hurt that much in international breaks because we have had 13 players away.

“We like this fact because it means also we have good players on international duty, but, especially, the first game is always a bit more affected. We had a really good performance for this and, for that, I'm even more devastated we were not effective enough to use this because the next international break will also be, honestly, more difficult.

“There's a next game then on the Friday evening already. We're not sure if even each and every player will make it, but, again, you can't choose, you have to adapt to the situation. We are also used to it.

“We know this. No complaints about this. I'm just disappointed we didn't use our big chance today. I was also disappointed with the decision of referee today because he had a really good position to judge the situation better, but sometimes you can't choose. You have to accept it.”

If the next international break sees the same crop of players taken away from Thorp Arch for a fortnight, Brenden Aaronson will again be the last to return before that Blades fixture. USA finish at 5.30am (BST) in Mexico on October 16, around 62 hours before kick-off at Elland Road.

The latest finishers, before Aaronson, would play on October 15. Dominican Republic will face Antigua & Barbuda, but a kick-off time has yet be confirmed. Japan play at home to Australia at 11.35am (BST), while Bulgaria would finish at 9.45pm, but are nearby in Belfast.