Leeds United return to action in the Championship this evening with a chance to make it four wins in succession after their clash with Norwich City at the weekend.
Daniel Farke secured a thrilling 3-2 win over his former side, after being 2-0 down at half-time, and that came after victories over Bristol City and Queens Park Rangers.
They are now set to travel to face Stoke City away from Elland Road tonight in search of another three points on the road to, hopefully, promotion back to the Premier League.
What's the latest Leeds team news?
The head coach has confirmed that there are no fresh injuries to deal with after the win over the Canaries, which means that Wilfried Gnonto came through his return without any setbacks.
However, Djed Spence, Junior Firpo, and Stuart Dallas remain unavailable for selection with their respective issues, and will not be in the matchday squad tonight.
This update, essentially, means that Farke could name an unchanged XI from the 3-2 win over Norwich. However, the manager is expecting an intense performance from the Potters and, because of this, must finally unleash Ilia Gruev from the start.
The central midfielder is yet to start a game for Leeds since his move from Werder Bremen and Glen Kamara should be moved aside to accommodate him.
How did Kamara perform against Norwich?
The Finland international did not step up to the mark defensively to help out his team against the Canaries as he only made one tackle, along with zero blocks, interceptions, or clearances, in 70 minutes on the pitch.
Kamara's lack of strength and defensive nous was on full display for the home side's second goal. He was goalside of Gabriel Sara, who had his back to goal, in the box and allowed the Brazilian ace to turn him with ease before firing into the back of the net.
Gruev's performances in Germany, however, suggest that he has the potential to offer more solidity in the middle of the park to deal with Stoke's intense play.
How did Gruev perform for Bremen?
The 23-year-old battler, whom his former coach Ole Werner hailed as "clever", made 31 Bundesliga appearances, which included 18 starts, for Bremen last season and showcased his defensive instincts.
He ranked within the top 26% of his positional peers at that level for tackles (2.50) and interceptions (1.25) per 90 respectively. The talented youngster also ranked within the top 48% for blocks (1.31) and clearances (1.19) per 90 for his side.
That came after Gruev placed in the top 12% of players in his position at 2. Bundesliga level for tackles (2.64) and interceptions (1.58) per 90 during the 2021/22 campaign as his team won promotion to the top-flight.
These statistics suggest that the Bulgaria international has more to offer out of possession than Kamara, who has made 1.3 tackles and interceptions combined per match in the Championship this season, if he can translate that form over to English football.
Therefore, Farke must finally unleash Gruev from the start and allow the 6 foot 1 enforcer to go about his business off the ball in order to allow the likes of Crysencio Summerville, Joel Piroe, and Georginio Rutter to push on and punish teams when they win possession back.