Leeds United duo to get rare top billing amid attempts to make long-awaited comebacks

As well as addressing the progress of italian international Willy Gnonto, who had to undergo surgery on an ankle problem and was initially expected back after the international break, and loanee Djed Spence who hurt his knee in September and could be looking at a November comeback, Farke will be quizzed on the status of Junior Firpo and Stuart Dallas amid hopes that the pair will bolster the squad for the mid-winter period.

Left-back Firpo is another for whom a post-international break return was thought possible the last time Farke spoke to the media. The summer 2021 signing, who has encounted numerous injury problems since arriving at Elland Road, suffered a knee problem in the summer and having recovered from that, experienced some hip pain that required further time on the sidelines.

"Firpo will also just be back in team training on the other side of the international break," said Farke at the start of October.

Farke may be in a position to add further clarity on Dallas' attempts to finally make it back from an April 2022 injury. Dallas fractured his femur in a challenge on Manchester City’s Jack Grealish and required a number of surgeries but returned to team training earlier this season and, after a slight set-back, was expected to continue his recovery.

Speaking on October 3 Farke said: "Stuart Dallas has joined us in team training already, but in the last days he had to return to individual training so he'll be back again in the next few days. There was a little set-back in training and for that he had to return to individual rehab but in one or two days he will return to team training. It’s good that he’s that close, it’s always good when he’s back on the training pitch. It'll last a few weeks before he's a topic for selection."

Throughout Dallas’ rehabilitation period there have been a number of what turned out to be false dawns and set-backs but he was welcomed back to training with slaps on the back from each of his team-mates and Farke expressed his delight that such an important player was back involved at Thorp Arch. The manager has adopted the same cautious approach as the club’s medical staff, however, and has thus far refused to put a timeframe on any return. Northern Ireland boss Michael O’Neill has been similiarly reticent to make any predictions or include Dallas in his immediate plans. Speaking early in October O’Neill said: “The medical team are in regular contact with Stuart - it is good to see him back on the grass. I think we have got to manage the expectations which I think the Leeds medical team tried to do in the media recently. There is being back on the grass and there is being back in team training, and the two are totally different things. Stuart, at this moment in time, is not doing any kind of contact as far as I'm aware. He is basically working with the strength and conditioning people. He has spent a huge amount of his rehab period in the gym which is hugely frustrating for players, so it is always a positive when a player gets back on the grass. He has had setbacks in that period as well, so hopefully going forward this is now a continuation where they can build him up and he feels good. I don't want to continually ask him every week how he is feeling because I'm sure he doesn't need that, but we are in contact. As regards this campaign, I don't envisage him playing any part."

As well as the known injury issues, including a shoulder problem for Jamie Shackleton, Farke will also be quizzed on how his international players returned from national team duty. The German's wish was that 17-year-old Archie Gray would not have to play all three of England Under 19s' October internationals but the youngster racked up another trio of 90-minute performances including an outing at right-back.

The small matter of a trip back to Norwich City, where Farke experienced such highs and lows in an eventful managerial tenure that included a pair of Championship titles, will also be high on the agenda when he sits down with the media at 1.30pm at Thorp Arch on Thursday afternoon.