Leeds United escape FA punishment for Burnley incident as former Real Madrid and Chelsea man 'in talks' for Championship manager role

Leeds United are without a Championship clash to look forward to this weekend but will already be working hard to prepare for the visit of Sheffield United to Elland Road next Friday. Daniel Farke’s side are well-placed to attack a favourable run of fixtures after this October international break, having taken five points from a difficult three-game week beforehand.

A handful of first-team regulars have flown off for international duty across the globe and Farke will be waiting anxiously on their return, with injury issues already stretching the squad to near breaking point. He and most of his squad will be at Thorp Arch over the weekend preparing for next week’s game and in the meantime, the YEP has rounded up some of the latest stories surrounding the club.

Burnley incident

Leeds look to have escaped punishment from the Football Association after coming under investigation for the alleged throwing of missiles during last month’s 1-0 defeat at home to Burnley. LeedsLive claim the FA did look into incidents in which missiles were allegedly thrown at Clarets midfielder Hannibal Mejbri as he was substituted off.

Former Manchester United man Hannibal attracted plenty of attention from Leeds fans during the game, thundering into challenges and goading those inside Elland Road. And things came to a head as he taunted supporters while walking around the pitch, with minutes published from a recent meeting with the Supporter Advisory Board (SAB) meeting revealing the investigation.

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The minutes state: “JO (Jordan Owens, head of communications) says the club are being investigated for missile throwing in the Burnley fixture, notably from the East Stand towards Hannibal Mejbri. JO asks for fans to report all incidents through the correct channels and also requests members of the SAB remind members of their groups/branches to reiterate the message alleged actions like these are illegal and not welcome at Elland Road.”

Cardiff manager talks

Cardiff City remain on the hunt for a permanent manager and are reportedly in talks with a Champions League winner. LondonWorld claim the Championship club are weighing up a move to appoint former Chelsea and Real Madrid midfielder Claude Makelele.

Cardiff sacked Erol Bulut following their dismal 2-0 defeat at home to Leeds last month, with a record of one point from six games signalling their worst start to a campaign for 94 years. Omer Riza has taken interim charge since but with the October international break now here, steps are being taken to appoint a more permanent option.

Among the options being explored is Makelele, who moved into management after calling time on a playing career in which he won multiple trophies at Real Madrid, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain among others. The 51-year-old was most recently head coach at Greek outfit Asteras Tripolis, who sacked him recently after just three weeks in charge.