
Ilia Gruev returned to the Leeds United fold in the FA Cup win over Harrogate Town on Saturday. The midfielder was out for a few months due to a knee injury and he was a regular in the team before he suffered the injury. Ao Tanaka and Joe Rothwell have stepped up to the plate in his absence and Ethan Ampadu has also been slotted into the team in his old midfield role once he returned from his injury. Gruev has been a wonderful player for Leeds but is now facing a challenge to get into the team. Daniel Farke has a selection headache to solve and the Bulgarian will hope to make it as difficult as possible for the Leeds boss to leave him out of the team.
Gruev was one of the first names on the team sheet for Leeds since he joined the club in the summer of 2023. He has been a massive player for the Whites over the last 18 months.
His passing range and the ability to progress the ball from deep make him such a key player for Leeds but a serious injury kept him out of action this season for a few months.
The Bulgrian’s injury was a major worry for Leeds but Tanaka and Rothwell stepped up and performed brilliantly in the middle of the park in the absence of the 24-year-old midfielder.
Gruev is now fit again and will soon push for a place in the team. Leeds have four top midfielders to choose from and it will be a challenge for him to win back his starting eleven berth.
Can he get back in the team? Tanaka and Rothwell have been a model of consistency and Ampadu is the club captain, which makes dropping him more complicated.
Ilia Gruev is competing with three more top midfielders for a place in the team
Leeds were so worried about their depth in midfield that they were forced to sign Josuha Guilavogui in October. But a few months down the line they are brimming with options.
The decision to drop Tanaka in favour of the returning Ampadu last month was surprising and Gruev’s return is going to further complicate matters.
Leeds have the options in midfield to rotate the players and keep them fresh for the rest of the season. However, Farke is known for being a manager who loves consistency in selections.
Gruev only came on for a minute against Harrogate Town and he is still far away from being fit enough to start games for Leeds in the coming days.
He is almost certain to be on the bench against Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday but he will soon be knocking on Farke’s door for a place in the starting eleven.
Gruev’s ability to progress the ball better than the other defensive midfielders in the squad could work in his favour in the second half of the season.
However, Tanakas’s form can’t be ignored and Farke prefers to start Ampadu in big games because of his calmness and leadership qualities.
The Bulgarian’s return provides Daniel Farke with a rare luxury
Farke will look to build back Gruev’s fitness to a level where he can be physically ready to handle the intensity of the Championship again as a starter.
The Leeds boss will look to use the Bulgarian from the bench in the next few games to ensure he gets time to be match-fit and regain his sharpness.
However, at some point, he will have to decide on whether to restore Gruev to the starting eleven once he is fit enough to play 90 minutes again.
In Tanaka, Ampadu and Rothwell, the Leeds boss has three brilliant midfielders and dropping any one of them every week is already a tough call.
Gruev’s return has further complicated the decision-making and Farke will have to decide which combination of midfielders he will need in every game.
Given the options he has in his squad, the German has the option of going with different combinations for different games and it is a luxury not every manager in the Championship has.
