Daniel Farke's time-keeping strategy reveals eight likely Leeds United starters vs Cardiff City

The German has used a total of 27 players during Leeds’ four pre-season fixtures, allocating minutes throughout his squad which potentially indicates each player’s likely importance for this coming season.

Goalkeeper Illan Meslier has featured most, accruing 270 minutes of a possible 360 during Leeds’ four friendly matches, starting each of the Whites’ last three encounters with AS Monaco, Nottingham Forest and Heart of Midlothian.

As for outfielders, Pascal Struijk, Archie Gray, Dan James, Liam Cooper, Luke Ayling, Luis Sinisterra and Ethan Ampadu have all played 200 minutes or more during pre-season.

Those who have featured more regularly stand a greater chance of starting this weekend as Erol Bulut’s Cardiff City side visit Elland Road.

Getting off to a winning start in front of home support will give Leeds the best chance of achieving their goal of promotion at the first time of asking and the opportunity to play an injury-hit Bluebirds side in their season opener is as good as any to lay down a marker to the rest of the division.

Six of the aforementioned eight Leeds players, excluding Ampadu and Meslier, made appearances in each of Leeds’ four friendly matches during July, indicating Farke is most likely to use them from the start this weekend, injuries and fitness permitting.

Further to this point, each of the eight players named played a minimum of 67 minutes against Hearts last weekend in Leeds’ final pre-season fixture. Sinisterra had previously been given three 45-minute run-outs, before remaining on the pitch for 78 minutes at Tynecastle.

Struijk, Meslier and Gray all completed 90 minutes north of the border, whilst Ampadu, Cooper, James and Ayling played at least two-thirds of the contest.

Cody Drameh’s injury is not thought to be severe and could return to the fold by the time Leeds visit Birmingham City in ten days’ time, but it is more than likely Ayling will retain his spot at right-back for the opener against Cardiff.

Struijk and Cooper’s involvement throughout pre-season suggests they will operate at right centre-back and left centre-back, respectively.

Ampadu can be expected to start at the base of midfield with Tyler Adams still recovering from hamstring surgery, while James and Sinisterra are likely to occupy the wings. Archie Gray’s inclusion alongside Ampadu would mark the 17-year-old’s professional debut.

Left-sided defender Leo Hjelde and attacker Crysencio Summerville were also handed 57 minutes apiece against Hearts as Farke and his fitness staff prepare them for potential involvement from the start on Sunday.