Daniel Farke’s Whites will enter the home straight of the Championship run-in with Monday night’s clash at Middlesbrough which Leeds are approaching in third place, two points adrift of the division’s second automatic promotion place occupied by Ipswich Town.
Ipswich, Leeds and leaders Leicester City were all new to the division this term, Ipswich having come up as League One runners-up but Leeds, Leicester and also fourth-placed Southampton all relegated from last season’s top-flight.
United’s squad now has a completely different look to it although a handful of stars stuck around to fight for an immediate top-flight return and several more are still on the club’s books. Here, we run through the whereabouts and recent fortunes of the Whites matchday squad that appeared for the club’s final game of the Premier League relegation campaign last May at home to Tottenham Hotspur, a game that ended in a 4-1 defeat.
1. Joel Robles (Al-Qadsiah)
Experienced keeper Robles ended last season as boss Sam Allardyce's first choice keeper after Illan Meslier was dropped. Robles left Leeds in July in a permanent exit to join Saudi First Division League side Al-Qadsiah for whom he has played every minute of every league game so far this season. Al-Qadsiah are top of the division and eight points clear of nearest pursuers Al Kholood and Al-Orobah with just six games left. Photo: Julian Finney
2. Luke Ayling (Middlesbrough)
Club stalwart Ayling was one of just a handful of Whites players to stick around in the bid to take the Whites back up, often captaining the side when skipper Liam Cooper was not in the XI. After finding game time limited, Ayling left Leeds in January to join fellow Championship side Middlesbrough on loan for the rest of the season but that switch effectively ended his time at Leeds due to being out of contract in the summer. Ayling has excelled at Boro and will likely be in high demand at the end of the campaign. Photo: Stu Forster
3. Liam Cooper
Club captain Cooper is one of just two players who started last season's Premier League finale against Tottenham who is still with the club. Now in his tenth season with the Whites, Cooper has already achieved one promotion with Leeds and will be keeping everything crossed that another one can be sealed this time around too. The Scotland international has found game time limited behind Joe Rodon, Pascal Struijk before injury and now Ethan Ampadu but his leadership is always extremely evident, on or off the pitch. Photo: Alex Burstow
4. Robin Koch (Eintracht Frankfurt)
German centre-back Koch was one of several Leeds players to depart the club on a relegation loan release clause, joining Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt on loan for the 2023-24 campaign. That switch was then made permanent in January upon his loan deal expiring in the summer. Koch has made 27 starts for Eintracht Frankfurt this season and was recalled to the Germany squad in March, the defender an unused sub for the friendlies against France and Netherlands. Frankfurt are sixth in the table, pushing hard for a European qualification place and Koch himself might he heading to the Euros. Photo: Christian Kaspar-Bartke
5. Pascal Struijk
The only other player along with Cooper who is still part of the Whites squad from the team that started against Tottenham. Struijk's season is now over following surgery to fix a groin injury which has kept him out since Boxing Day's defeat at Preston North End. The centre-back had excelled up to that point, often wearing the captain's armband. Still only 24, Struijk is expected back in pre-season. Photo: Stu Forster
6. Rasmus Kristensen (AS Roma)
One of the relegated players not with the current squad but still on the club's books having left in July to join AS Roma on loan as part of a relegation release clause. Danish international right-back Kristensen has made 25 league appearances so far this season for Roma who sit fifth in Serie A, pushing for European qualification. Kristensen recently returned from a muscular injury as an unused sub for the Rome derby victory at home to Lazio. Part of the Denmark squad when fit and all set for the Euros where the Danes are in the same group as England. Contracted at Leeds until the summer of 2027. Photo: Paolo Bruno