Big Leeds United boost expected for start of Championship season with perspective over concern

Leeds will begin their Championship promotion quest with Sunday afternoon’s Elland Road showdown against Cardiff City and the bookmakers firmly believe that Daniel Farke’s Whites will start the new campaign with a three-point haul.

United are heavy odds-on across the board for victory against the Bluebirds and no bigger than 2-5 but as short as 1-3. Cardiff can be backed at 15-2 whereas the draw is on offer at 4s about a game for which United’s two main strikers in Patrick Bamford and Georginio Rutter are both injury doubts. Yet Leeds ultimately have the first ten players in the first scorer market, possibly offering some perspective about the potential worries upfront.

Two of those ten players who are in the first three in the betting are both injury doubts given that 22-5 market leader Bamford and 23-4 joint-fourth favourite Rutter were both forced off in last weekend’s final pre-season friendly at Hearts.

But Mateo Joseph is second favourite to score first at 9-2, followed by Joe Gelhardt at 11-2 and Luis Sinisterrra is the same price as Rutter at 23-4. Willy Gnonto, Crysencio Summerville and Ian Poveda are all 7s followed by Dan James at 8s and Sonny Perkins at 10s.

Only then are the first Cardiff players introduced in the shape of Karlan Grant, Kion Etete, Ike Ugbo, Yakou Meite and Callum Robinson who are 14s, the same price as United teen Archie Gray and also no goalscorer.

Yet the bookies expect a straightforward Whites win and a 2-0 success for Farke's side is favourite in the correct score market at 6-1.