Daniel Farke provides Ilia Gruev injury update and team news in Leeds United press conference

He’s improving, that's for sure, he came from a side with a different football culture. It's never easy when you're relegated to the second-tier and not always involved due to bookings and injuries, it wasn’t the easiest pre-season for him. I have to say I’m impressed, in the beginning my first impression was of his potential but also his physicality needs to have some improvement. We worked hard with him, he’s improving from day to day and I'm pretty pleased he already has a deep impact with the end product - two goals and one assist.

This was a question in La Liga, how many goals or assists he can deliver. Also his defensive work, he can be pretty stable and good in terms of defending but there are still improvements to make. Norwich’s first goal, for example, we could avoid the winger cutting inside, we need to improve that. He can cover more distance but we’re speaking to him on this and I’m pleased he is capable of making it in the starting line-up. Three games in six days was never the plan but if he’s really capable it would be massive. I'm pleased with the progress he’s making and the minutes are beneficial for him. Hopefully he can have a good impact on Friday night.

So far, I would say in away games, unbeaten so far and one goal conceded, we’ve won many points on the road. Two difficult away games with wins and two tough opponents in West Brom and Norwich, really good outcome, nearly perfect. Our home games, performance-wise, have been at a really good level. Against Hull and Coventry, a perfect performance and result. We also had two really good performances, against Portsmouth the highest expected goals in years, all over them but sometimes it’s football and just a draw because we missed chances.

More or less the same against Burnley, 75% possession, 17 to seven shots, 10 to one corners, many more expected goals but it’s football. You miss chances, don’t get a penalty and they counter-attack after we slipped. Performance-wise, I was pleased with our performances but the outcomes could have been better if we’d been more effective. Overall, really good performances, it's difficult to beat us, we are going in the right direction.

After so many changes and changes in key positions, losing a lot of key players and bringing in young lads. Mateo Joseph in his first stages in English football, Willy Gnonto still 20-years-old, Brenden Aaronson after a difficult start to life at Leeds and a difficult loan spell, Largie Ramazani first steps in English football. We have an exciting group with lots of potential, and I'm pleased with how large has developed, how Brenden has done and what Mateo gives us, but you can't predict they will develop further when you have such a young group.

Ao Tanaka, first steps in English football, Joe Rothwell involved for many minutes for the first time in ages. I think it would be unfair to put the burden of ‘big favourites’ on their shoulders. We have a good side, a side capable of achieving something, a good group and I think once we work with it, we can be right in the mix. But it would be unfair to give us the label of big favourites.

First of all, we have to wait for the outcome with Ilia and how long he’ll be out. It's one of our professional duties to be aware and check who is perhaps available and what we could do. If i'm honest, i'm not a big friend of signing players who are out of contract at the beginning of October. It means they have been out of team training since May, around five months. Even if you bring them in, it takes a while until they are fully fit and can play first-teak football.

The player who is injured for the next few weeks, he could be back earlier than those who are not raining for five months. Quite often, I think it’s a panic buy or to try and show that you are doing something. I think it’s professional to check and sometimes, there could be someone who suits the needs in this moment. It’s definitely one of our professional duties but if I’m honest, I’m not a big believer in these signings. But first of all, we wait for a positive outcome from the scan of Ilia. If there is a shocking diagnosis, we’ll have a look but I can’t confirm.

They’ve done pretty well so far. We know it's still the warm-up period for the Championship because there are so many games to come. But every game counts and in these early stages, you have to win as many points as possible. They've won many points, each and every home game. We know they are in good shape, good players, strong on the counter-attack. They are strong in all offensive positions and they have players who can score goals.

Full of respect for their work but we know we are also in good shape and want to make sure we’re ready to go again on Friday. I expect a tight game against a good opponent. We have to be at our best to have a chance but in these moments when you don’t have the key players available, it's about sticking together and creating unity in the squad. Once we are together and spirited we have a chance to win the next game.

I'm the manager so I decide how long to use a player. No one tells me what to do or what not to do. But sometimes, knowing you always want to be there with the best possible squad and it annoys you when you have many injuries, what can we do when Max Wober is injured with his national team? What can you do when Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev are injured because of contact in the game which you can’t do anything about? Also when you have this spell, you need a squad not of 11, 12 or 13, you need 20-25 players so it's important to give everyone the feeling they are needed. For that, you need to use your squad.

It's a tricky period but I'm also usd to it. I've had a few games already in the championship and I know the load is sometimes incredible. Even by championship standards this is a special occasion, three games in six days and then two away games as second and third game. You have to adapt to this situation. If you don't use your squad and try to share the minutes now, there’s never the time to do this. If you always played with just 11 players it would also send a wrong sign to the players in our squad because it's important they all feel needed and we also need them.

During a time when you have more injuries, you monitor the players even more. For example, we have two wingers Daniel James and Manor Solomon injured, you want to make sure that players like Willy Gnonto or Ramazani are ready to start three games in six days. Normally you'd mix it up a bit but to make sure they can start all three and deliver, you speak with the medical department about supporting their recovery, their nutrition, their sleep. It's important from the sports science advice, whether their workload drops during a game that maybe they seem to get tired, we can't afford another injury because we are thin in those positions.

We have a look but overall I don't want to speak about players who are loaned out. I only concentrate on our group and don't want to comment too much. Fingers crossed for a good season for Darko’s development but I don't want to speak about players not with us. We have too much work to do, three games in six days, many injury problems so my focus is on the here and now.

Charlie is a young player who came to us at 17. There are many comparisons to a 17-year-old Archie Gray, this is not fair because the last thing young lads need is too much weight on their shoulders. To play as a 17 or 18-year-old guy regularly in first-team football for such a big club with such ambition to go back into the Premier League, it's not normal that a 17, 18-year-old guy is always in the starting-XI, or has major minutes. This happens once in 10 years so it would be unfair to expect him to do the same as Archie.

Charlie is a great character, always open and wanting to learn. We try to work a lot with him to improve him but we can just bring him closer to the door - the step through the door is up to him and he has the chance to shine. He's totally down to earth, well educated, really humble, a good guy and a good football player but there is a step between youth football and senior football. For some it takes a bit longer to make the breakthrough. He is on a good path, involved at 18 for a few months. It says a lot about his potential but when there’s time to unleash him, we will.

We have to [look at young players], it's why several are involved in training at the moment. We have to adapt to the situation. All of the players who train with us I trust. We work with them, we back them and if I need to bring them on in important games, I would 100% trust them.

We were hoping he could be involved today but it was not possible. I expect the game comes a bit too soon for him. We have to go with what we’ve got.

Like always, after a competitive game a few hits and knocks but no one ruled out for the game. We have a few injured players from the last few weeks. I don't expect one to come back. Isaach Schmidt looks a bit better so we will try tomorrow, our last training session before the game. If he comes through, he could be involved but I expect him to be the only one who could return back.

We are still waiting for further assessment, he will have a scan later today and I can tell you more maybe this evening. As it stands, it looks a bit better today, doesn't feel that bad but we have to wait for the scan.