Leeds United’s critical fortnight plan could make or break Premier League ambitions

Leeds United will have crammed 26 matches into 16 weeks by the time they reach the next international break and a final chance to draw breath before eight games that will decide their fate

Breath will be drawn at Leeds United during the forthcoming international break as Daniel Farke’s side gather themselves for the final push. Eight matches across five weeks will decide the final league table, meaning this last chance to regroup could be make or break for every team.

Leeds will have crammed 26 matches into the 16 weeks since the last international break, underlining just how relentless the backbone of the campaign has proved for all concerned. Farke will be keen for his players to reset their minds as well as their bodies before the final push.

The pressure on his young players, of the nation watching their every game, families and agents too, is on Farke’s mind. He has been keen to ensure they have a safe space to enjoy at Thorp Arch away from the eyes of the world.

“Because a game is always different from training, it’s a big, big challenge on the Championship level because it’s not just physical loads but especially the mental load,” the speaker stated. “You can practice extremely hard and have about the same load when you only play once a week; this is what we generally do, but the mental strain and load is always something truly unique, especially for our younger players because there are so many expectations.

“Everyone who plays football, at least in our nation, watches the games. We essentially watch everything live on television, where a variety of pundits discuss and rank every participant.

“The families, the agents are watching and following the game. So it’s always lots of pressure, especially for the young lads and this is what we have to take into account and we have to make sure we create an environment where it’s just about football.

“We’re just about the contents and give them also some backing, also some trust, also honest values, honest ratings and judgement, this is quite important. The big break after this game on Friday will be already beneficial, but then especially the next international break will be quite important for the players with so much load.”

The big break Farke mentions is the mammoth nine days between Sheffield Wednesday and Millwall. Ending this phase of the campaign at Elland Road, against a bitter rival like Millwall, could be the perfect send-off.

International duty will, inevitably, stop several of his players from getting the recovery he would otherwise want them to have. Ethan Ampadu, Joe Rodon, Archie Gray, Glen Kamara, Daniel James, Wilfried Gnonto, Ilia Gruev, Liam Cooper, Connor Roberts, Charlie Cresswell and Mateo Joseph all seem likely to be called up, but there could be other surprises too.

“We also need to allow them to clear their heads a bit, especially in the first week [of the international break],” said Farke. “Sadly, that’s not possible for all of my players because there are also some important games coming up, sometimes even against each other.

“Especially for the players who are there on international duty, the load is incredible, but yes, what should we do? We have to get to it. We can’t influence the schedule anymore.

“We have to find some good solutions and also here at Thorp Arch, during the week, we use the information we give them, also the load, the physical, but also the mental load, we give them.

“We have to prepare them for the next opponent, but also have to make sure we don’t overload them and don’t put even more expectations on their shoulder. So it’s important they train sometimes with a smile and they leave with a smile, so we need to find a good balance between being concentrated, but also not being over the line.”