Norwich City vs Leeds United press conference live: Farke previews Canaries return amid injury update

LEEDS, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 23:  Leeds United Manager Daniel Farke celebrates after the Sky Bet Championship match between Leeds United and Watford at Elland Road on September 23, 2023 in Leeds, England. (Photo by Ben Roberts Photo/Getty Images)LEEDS, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 23:  Leeds United Manager Daniel Farke celebrates after the Sky Bet Championship match between Leeds United and Watford at Elland Road on September 23, 2023 in Leeds, England. (Photo by Ben Roberts Photo/Getty Images)
LEEDS, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 23: Leeds United Manager Daniel Farke celebrates after the Sky Bet Championship match between Leeds United and Watford at Elland Road on September 23, 2023 in Leeds, England. (Photo by Ben Roberts Photo/Getty Images)
Leeds United manager Daniel Farke hosts his pre-Norwich City press conference this afternoon from the club’s training base at Thorp Arch.

Farke is expected to provide an update on the availability of injured players Willy Gnonto, Djed Spence, Junior Firpo and Jamie Shackleton, all of whom missed the Whites’ 2-1 victory over Bristol City prior to the international break. Also on the agenda will be Farke’s return to his old stomping ground, where he enjoyed two promotions as second tier champion with the Norfolk club.

The German’s reception could be mixed after comments made upon taking the Leeds job, insinuating that the Whites are a bigger club with greater resources than his previous employers, although the 46-year-old is likely to be unfazed, focused entirely on returning to West Yorkshire with three points in tow.

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Defender Sam Byram also spent a number of seasons with the Canaries and, fitness permitting, will be expected to start on Saturday afternoon.

All the updates from Farke’s presser this afternoon will filter through here. It is scheduled to be underway from 1:30pm.

Leeds United press conference LIVE: Daniel Farke previews Norwich

Key Events

  • Farke returns to Carrow Road
  • Updates on Gnonto, Spence and other injured players

Farke on memories [continued]

Nothing lasts forever and it’s up to us to travel there and win the points, that’s the task. I’m not thinking too much about my memories. This is maybe a topic for 30 years when we sit on the sofa with a glass of wine.

Farke on Norwich memories

There were so many memories out of this team. This club will always have a special place in my heart. I will always be grateful, we had an unbelievably successful time and we [Norwich] were able to win three times the Championship trophy and two times I was involved.

Farke on Carrow Road return

I haven’t thought so much about it because I have been so busy. There are still some players I worked with and other players you have to prepare for a normal game, to make sure you prepare your team. More or less it’s the normal stuff.

Farke on Norwich prep

The only session we have before the Norwich game with the whole team is tomorrow before we travel. The first week and beginning of the second week [of the international break] we concentrate on the individual work. Many offensive players on the pitch, it was possible to work with them on finishing situations, special work when you don’t have much time during the normal process. But you can’t work on team training because you don’t have the numbers or key players available because they are involved with the national team. It’s always a bit tricky but I don’t complain.

Farke on internationals

Lots of load for many of them, beneficial for some like Ilia Gruev, Charlie Cresswell played many minutes. For some we have a bit of concern but they came back without injuries. The only question mark is Leo Hjelde.

He’s doing his rehab here, he’s training on the pitch but not with the team. He will still be out a couple of weeks.

Some progress, Willy is back in team training since last Sunday. Looked sharp in training, he is a topic for the squad to travel with us. Jamie Shackleton back in training since the beginning of this week. Junior Firpo is back in team training since Tuesday, he was part integrated. We have to still be careful a bit. The next step will be join us during the whole training week, then will need a few weeks to be ready. He is not a topic for Norwich. Stuart Dallas, he was out for such a long time, he’s part integrated, joined us in several parts of team training, sometimes he has to train individually or recover more. He definitely needs three or four full weeks before we can choose him.

Farke in the building

The boss is here. Stay tuned for updates.

Leeds come into this one on the back of two wins from their last three games, after a minor blip on the south coast away to Southampton. Farke will be keen to put right the team’s away form, which has seen them pick up seven points from five games on the road. However, in comparison to Leicester (P5, W5) and Ipswich (P5, W4, D1) Leeds haven’t travelled quite as well (P5, W2, D1, L2).

Leeds’ last five trips to Norfolk have ended like this:

October 2021: Norwich City 1-2 LEEDS UNITED (Raphinha 56’, Rodrigo 60’)

August 2018: Norwich City 0-3 LEEDS UNITED (Klich 21’, Alioski 26’, Hernandez 67’)

April 2018: NORWICH CITY 2-1 Leeds United (Phillips 39’)

November 2016: Norwich City 2-3 LEEDS UNITED (Jansson 57’, Wood 74’, Vieira 90+1’)

October 2014: Norwich City 1-1 Leeds United (Doukara 63’)