Can Leeds United loanees play in play-offs if Ipswich Town finish off automatic promotion job?

Firstly, we’re talking outgoing loan business, rather than incoming. Only injury or a sudden fall from Daniel Farke’s favour would remove Tottenham Hotspur defender and standout Whites performer Joe Rodon from the play-offs, should Ipswich Town finish off the job on Saturday and send Leeds into the semi-final. But what of the players still owned by Leeds, plying their trade in various leagues across Europe and, of course, here in England? Could they do a job or bolster the squad? The short answer is no. The reasons are numerous in some cases.

To begin with, a change in the loan regulations back in the 2017/18 season ended the loaning of players up to specific dates and introduced a new system whereby loans were extended up to the start of the next player registration window. The EFL’s player registration regulations state: “A Player whose Standard Loan expires (or terminates) at the end of the Season of the Transferee Club but prior to the completion of the League Matches of his Transferor Club (where it is a Member Club) will not be eligible to play in any remaining League Matches for the Transferor Club in that Season. Examples where this may apply are (a) differential season ends for different divisions or (b) a player finishing a loan and his ‘parent club’ has qualified for the play-off competitions.” So even though Luke Ayling and Sam Greenwood’s season will be done after Saturday’s Middlesbrough game against Watford at the Riverside, they will be permitted to do nothing more than cheer Leeds on.

In any case, some of the players out on loan will not have concluded their season until mid or late May. Brenden Aaronson, Max Wober and Robin Koch, who of course has already signed a pre-contract with Eintracht Frankfurt, will be in action right up to May 18. LaLiga, where Marc Roca is playing for Real Betis, runs until May 26. That’s when Serie A is due to finish, keeping Rasmus Kristensen and Diego Llorente busy until the very day the Championship play-off final will be held at Wembley.

And even if there was some mechanism by which Leeds could recall their player and re-register him, Farke’s position on those who wanted out has been made abundantly clear during his first year at Elland Road. Speaking after Luis Sinisterra’s loan move to Bournemouth was made permanent, after the January window closed, the Leeds boss said: “I'm always a bit careful once a player was here and wanted to go away then to bring him back in. It's a bit like - we have this [saying] in Germany - when you put the food into the microwave it never tastes that well like if it's freshly cooked. I think, although he's a good player, and he's a good character, we wish him all the best. It's beneficial for us and definitely the right decision."

Then there’s the fans. Already somewhat on edge after last Friday’s defeat at QPR and what may be the confirmation of a play-off finish, rather than the automatic promotion that was dreamed of, the fanbase seems keen to never set eyes on players who rushed for the exit door last summer. The exercising of loan clauses following relegation was interpreted by many as a lack of loyalty to the club, a refusal to accept any kind of personal responsibility for new-found second tier status and an unwillingness to stay and rectify the situation. Even if they could play, even if Farke wanted them to, the reception at Elland Road or any ground for that matter would not be kind or conducive to the atmosphere Leeds will need should their season run over into the next few weeks.