Reluctant Leeds United transfer decision gives Daniel Farke starting line-up dilemma vs Preston

Sunday lunchtime's fixture between Leeds and Preston at Elland Road will see Daniel Farke and Ryan Lowe's men go head-to-head for the second time in the space of four weeks with the home side looking to right the wrongs of December 26.

Leeds were beaten in Lancashire, courtesy of a late Liam Millar strike, after Pascal Struijk had levelled proceedings from the penalty spot minutes earlier to give several thousand travelling supporters hope they would not be leaving empty-handed.

United were reduced to ten men in the reverse fixture as Illan Meslier was shown a straight red card for a right-armed swipe at Milutin Osmajic, but the Frenchman has now served his three-match suspension and made a comeback in the 3-0 win over Cardiff City last weekend.

After a brief return to midfield for Archie Gray in Leeds' FA Cup victory against Peterborough United, Farke reinstated the 17-year-old to the right-back role he has grown accustomed to this season, for the visit to the Cardiff City Stadium. What the Leeds boss plans to do in that very position ahead of Preston's visit will be interesting, however.

Farke acknowledged Gray's performance at Deepdale, up against match-winner Millar, was far from his best, but refused to single out the teenager - or his goalkeeper - for Leeds' result on Boxing Day. Leeds' January business so far has comprised of two departures, both of whom were alternate options in the position Gray is likely to take up again on Sunday.

Djed Spence's exit was one Farke and the Leeds hierarchy thought long and hard about, before exercising a clause in his loan contract which sent him back to Tottenham Hotspur prematurely. Luke Ayling's departure, on the other hand, was one Leeds were a great deal more reluctant to sanction, but did so anyway in the interest of honouring Ayling's contribution to the club over the past seven-and-a-half years.

"With Luke it was a special situation," Farke said. "I spoke a lot about my public admiration for him and us as a group.

"He came to see us after the cup game. We talked with him. It was not the moment to think about it selfishly. We listened to him. He has done so much for the club. We have done a lot for him. He has given so much back," the German added.

Millar, meanwhile, is expected to be named in manager Lowe's starting line-up at Elland Road this weekend, most probably on the left flank. Farke has the option to select Gray as the Canadian's direct opponent once again, or entrust the likes of Jamie Shackleton or Sam Byram with handling the 24-year-old winger.

Farke's best option may well be the experienced Byram, described as 'outstanding' by his manager earlier this season. However, the 30-year-old only managed a quarter of an hour against Birmingham City on New Year's Day before being taken off with a recurrence of the hamstring injury which kept him out through much of December. He was left out entirely in the FA Cup and only managed a five-minute substitute appearance in South Wales last Saturday, suggesting he may not be ready from the start.

Shackleton deputised at right full-back against Peterborough, but was given a hard time by Posh winger Ephron Mason-Clark and was subsequently left on the bench for Leeds' trip to Cardiff.

All in all, it leaves Farke with a selection conundrum: does he rely on the teenage Gray to produce a better performance against an opponent who has already caused problems for him? Or, should he risk Byram, who may only be able to see out 60 minutes, that is if he avoids re-injury altogether?

It is a problem for which there is no right or wrong answer, but at 3 o'clock on Sunday afternoon, if Leeds have maintained their unbeaten streak at Elland Road and secured all three points, whichever decision Farke has made will have been the correct solution.