Leeds United welcome two players back to squad vs Ipswich Town as pair given New Year return from injury

Leeds are winless in their last two, but were spared falling further behind Ipswich in the table after the Tractor Boys were held to a 2-2 draw by East Anglian rivals Norwich City last week. United, meanwhile, were left frustrated by a 1-1 scoreline against Coventry City at Elland Road, which followed a midweek defeat by Sunderland in the north-east.

Despite the demanding Championship schedule, Farke's Leeds have not been affected too greatly by injuries so far this term. Only the likes of Stuart Dallas, Junior Firpo and Djed Spence have spent lengthy periods on the sidelines, while the majority of Farke's first-choice options have been available to him throughout the season.

Ian Poveda has rejoined the group at Thorp Arch after a stint with the Colombian national team over the past two weeks, while Jamie Shackleton and Sam Byram have sat out the last handful of fixtures with hamstring and glute injuries, respectively.

This week, Farke confirmed Firpo and Poveda are back in contention for the game against Ipswich: "Ian came back with a smile on his face, lots of confidence, was also quite impressive during the training week.

"He has a good chance to be back in the squad, the same with Junior Firpo. We have two more days and everyone can make his mark in training. Both of them are available," the Leeds boss said.

Farke also predicted it would be the New Year before Byram and Shackleton are involved again on matchdays, while Dallas remains in light training, as well as conducting rehabilitation work. All three are yet to return to full team training.