Leeds United are preparing to blood at least three new signings in their competitive fixture at Nottingham Forest this weekend.
James Trafford will get the nod in goal after his £40m move from Manchester City set a new club record. He will be protected by Tarik Muharemovic, whose own transfer fee came to £34m.
The duo turned heads during pre-season training and are anticipated to form the backbone of Daniel Farke’s plans for the upcoming campaign. Jayden Bogle and Joe Rodon have committed their futures to the club by signing fresh contracts this week and are slated to operate on the right flank of the three-man defence when the sides meet at the City Ground.
Rodon, alongside Jaka Bijol, has been appointed to the leadership group for the new season as part of the vice-captain structure. Bijol will anchor the central defensive position while Muharemovic takes up the left-sided berth.
James Justin has also earned a place in this leadership group and will fill the left-back role, with Gabriel Gudmundsson still sidelined by the hamstring problem he picked up during the tour of America against Liverpool. The Swede may also sit out the following fixture with Brentford.
In the centre of the park, Anton Stach is primed to partner captain Ethan Ampadu, according to the side that started the friendly against Augsburg at the weekend. Stach needed time to find his rhythm after recovering from an ankle problem sustained in May but appeared to be back to his best recently.
Harry Wilson, a recent acquisition, and Brenden Aaronson, who extended his contract over the summer, will operate in the attacking midfield positions just behind Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Wilson arrived on a free transfer and represents the most economical of all the new arrivals.
Noah Okafor is unlikely to feature from the outset as he continues building his fitness after rejoining the squad later than his teammates following Switzerland’s progression to the World Cup quarter-finals. The forward could potentially make an appearance from the substitutes’ bench.
Nico Elvedi, the most recent addition to the squad, has every chance of being involved in the matchday roster given he has completed a full pre-season schedule with Borussia Monchengladbach, though he is likely to serve as cover initially.
Wilfried Gnonto remains unavailable as he works his way back from a hamstring injury, while Ilia Gruev is in contention for a place on the bench for the first time since returning for pre-season after carefully managing a meniscus issue to his knee sustained in March.
Likely lineup: Trafford; Rodon, Bijol, Muharemovic; Bogle, Ampadu, Stach, Justin; Wilson, Aaronson; Calvert-Lewin.