Leeds United manager Daniel Farke has confirmed that Junior Firpo sustained a hamstring injury during the team’s 2-0 victory over Derby County, forcing him to leave the pitch in the first half. Farke expressed concern over Firpo’s availability for their next match against Middlesbrough, acknowledging that recovery would be “difficult” in such a short timeframe. “We need to assess the situation, but it seems unlikely he’ll be ready for Tuesday,” said Farke. “Hopefully, it’s not too severe.”
The win, which saw Leeds return to the top of the Championship, came thanks to first-half goals from Joe Rodon and Max Wober, the latter of whom replaced Firpo at left-back. While Leeds dominated the game, they might have extended their lead had it not been for some impressive saves from Derby goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom in the second half.
This victory marked Leeds’ seventh consecutive home league win and their first four consecutive home clean sheets since June 2000. Despite a nervy start to the game, Farke was pleased with the overall performance, particularly the control his side exerted on the ball and their defensive strength. “It was always going to be a tricky match after a defeat, and we were a bit unsettled early on,” Farke said. “But once we settled, we dominated. We kept a clean sheet against a side that had been scoring regularly, and although we could have scored more, we restricted them to very few chances.”
Rodon broke the deadlock in the 39th minute with a header from Joe Rothwell’s corner, marking his first goal for Leeds. Farke praised the team’s handling of set pieces, saying, “We focused on the importance of set pieces, and we defended them well. We didn’t give Derby much from their corners, and we even won the set-piece battle. Joe Rodon had another excellent opportunity that didn’t result in a goal, but Joe Rothwell’s deliveries were excellent throughout.”
Wober doubled the lead just before halftime, reacting quickly to finish from close range following good work from Brenden Aaronson and Daniel James. Farke was full of praise for Wober, who had to adapt to playing out of position following Firpo’s injury. “Max was fantastic,” Farke said. “He’s typically a central defender, but today he showed great movement and made a vital contribution with the goal. His attitude was superb, and he played a key role in this important win.”
