Leeds United

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On the latest episode of Don't Go To Bed Just Yet, Jonny Buchan, Adam Pope and Simon Rix looked ahead to Leeds United's team selection as the Whites prepare to face Nottingham Forest again, this time in the Carabao Cup.

Buchan believes James Trafford should keep his place in goal with Nico Elvedi also in line for some minutes.

"I think you stick with Trafford, giving him as much game time as you can. There's no point in putting Lucas Perri in if he's going to go elsewhere. I'd try to give Nico Elvedi some game time, for who I'm not sure," said the BBC Radio Leeds sports editor.

"Calvert-Lewin playing the full 90 minutes [on Saturday] suggests to me that Lukas Nmecha will play the full 90 on Tuesday. He's maybe said you'll both get a full 90 in this first week unless something happens."

Rix added: "I think Farke will go pretty strong because it's about getting fitness into the legs. So I think most of the back five will play, but I think Elvedi will play and Sean Longstaff. And maybe Dan James in for Brenden Aaronson, and Lukas Nmecha in for Dominic Calvert-Lewin."

Pope said: "Do you give Harry Wilson another run out? He's been there all pre-season - it's a synergy thing, isn't it? I would start him."

Listen to the full episode of Don't Go To Bed Just Yet on BBC Sounds

The team on BBC Radio Leeds' Don't Go to Bed Just yet think Tarik Muharemovic caught the eye in the Whites' opening win against Nottingham Forest.

BBC Radio Leeds' Jonny Buchan says he was "really impressed" and that the defender looked a "level up" on some of those who previously filled the role.

There's also praise aplenty for Anton Stach.

Listen to a clip above, the podcast below or in full on BBC Sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.

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Millie Sian
BBC Sport journalist

Leeds United boss Daniel Farke has been speaking to the media before Tuesday's Carabao Cup match against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground (kick-off 20:00 BST), having clinched a late 1-0 win there on Saturday.

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• With "no new injuries" to report following their Premier League season-opener, he is expecting to have "more or less the same players available" for their first cup match of the season.

• Ilia Gruev, who suffered a meniscus knee injury in April, is "fully back" in team training after being "partly integrated" last week. However, this fixture comes "a bit too soon".

• He added: "We want him to be back in team training for at least two weeks before he is ready for selection, each and every training session will help."

• Willy Gnonto and Gabriel Gudmundsson, who are both nursing hamstring injuries, are in a good place with their rehabilitation but are not back in team training just yet.

• On starting the Premier League season with a win: "There is no replacement for a winning feeling in the dressing room. To get a clean sheet and an away win on matchday one is the perfect start. If you look at the other results, they show how difficult it is to deliver away wins at this level."

• Despite the identical circumstances, Farke says Leeds will not have the edge over Nottingham Forest as you "can't really compare" league games and cup games.

• He explained: "Our league win is good for our mood and confidence, but this is a 'do or die' cup game. Both teams will be motivated to progress, so I expect a tight game. It will be difficult to win on the road again against a tough opponent."

• In terms of team selection, it will be about "finding the right balance" between resting players and building momentum. Farke explained: "You want to keep the competition in the squad high at the start of a season, you want the players fighting for their place, so there will be some rotation but I don't expect it to be a completely different side."

• Summer signing Nico Elvedi is "eligible to play and in very good shape" after a full pre-season with Borussia Monchengladbach, so there is "definitely a possibility" for his full debut.

• On how much it would mean to win a first domestic cup of his managerial career: "Well, we weren't too far away last season. Overall, I would say my form in cup competitions hasn't been too bad during my career. I'm a big believer in these competitions, I like the 'do or die' mentality. I would never say no to another good cup run."

• When asked about Leeds United's interest in Chelsea's Mykhailo Mudryk, he replied: "There's always noise around this club. You get the feeling agents try to use our name to get others to speak about their player. Sometimes we are linked with players I haven't even heard of!"

• The club will "stay awake until more or less the last second" of the summer transfer window but they will only commit to deals that "make sense". The aim is to "be financially sustainable" and "not gamble" on transfers.

• Sam Byram's future will most likely be away from Elland Road. The defender didn't get much game time last season and is currently exploring his options.

• Farke added: "He has always been in my plans and in my head because I have a soft spot for him. I love him as a player and as a human being. We wish him all the best. Fingers crossed he makes a good decision for his future."

Listen to BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra commentary of Nottingham Forest v Leeds United from 19:00 BST

Got a question about Leeds? Get in touch here and we'll seek answers from our experts

A new episode of BBC Radio Leeds' Don't Go To Bed Just Yet podcast is now available on BBC Sounds.

A late Anton Stach free-kick got Leeds United's campaign off to a winning start against Nottingham Forest. Jonny Buchan, Adam Pope and Simon Rix analyse that game and talk transfers with a week of the summer window remaining.

The Whites face Forest at the City Ground again on Tuesday - this time in the Carabao Cup. Full BBC Radio Leeds match commentary will be available on BBC Sounds throughout the UK and on 92.4FM.

Listen to Don't Go To Bed Just Yet below or on BBC Sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed

Explore all Leeds United content on BBC Sounds

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Nottingham Forest and Leeds.

Here are some of your comments:

Forest fans

Tom: Despite the change of manager, Forest have the same old problems of creating chances and putting them away while always being prone to a defensive blunder. Difficult to watch it play out the way I feared.

Tony: Thought a draw would have been a fair result. But you have to put your chances away. Fair play to Leeds they did just that.

Fosi: I thought team selection shows we are still short of a quality striker! Average display and the late goal was poor. I thought goalkeeper should have stopped it. Short of two or three quality additions!

Chris: Disappointing. We looked toothless and too passive with too much sideways, backwards passing - and some of that didn't always reach a red shirt. Room for improvement - must try harder.

Leeds fans

Kevin: Great start to the season, three points away from home where we got battered last year. A draw on the cards until Stach stepped up with great strike. No lack of endeavour from Leeds but quality lacking. Defence were outstanding and will take some beating this season. Trafford provided some much needed stability at the back.

Shaun: Disciplined at the back, needed to be a bit sharper up front. Overall a good away performance and a valuable three points.

Neil: Doesn't matter about performance yet - win first and work on improvements for the next game. After five games things will have settled down a bit, then we can start looking at performance.

Mark: Solid at the back but work to do on keeping the ball in midfield. Calvert-Lewin was a bit lonely up front. Trafford gave everyone around him confidence and was great with the ball at his feet. Work to be done, but my goodness I'll take that start to the season.

Nizaar Kinsella
Football reporter

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Chelsea are looking at alternative options to Leeds United for Mykhailo Mudryk, despite receiving a loan bid from the Elland Road club - and Coventry City are among those to have expressed an interest.

The Blues say they have ended talks with Leeds over the 25-year-old Ukraine international after negotiations continued throughout the weekend.

Other solutions include a move to sister club Strasbourg or to another Premier League side. The newly promoted Sky Blues, along with Italian sides Napoli, Atalanta and Roma have shown interest.

Chelsea are keen to guarantee playing time for the forward, who joined from Shakhtar Donetsk for an initial £61m in 2023, by including financial penalties if he is not involved.

However, a move to Leeds was believed to be Mudryk's favoured option, with Brentford also having had an approach turned down over attempts to include an option to buy.

Mudryk is keen to get his career back on track after testing positive for the banned substance meldonium and serving a 20-month ban.

He returned to action at the end of July and featured in Chelsea's pre-season tour of Asia.

Adwaidh Rajan
BBC Sport journalist

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After leading Leeds to safety, Daniel Farke had threatened to quit, saying he is "not the right choice" to lead the club if they fail to match his ambition in the summer.

The club hierarchy listened and backed the German in the transfer market in the summer, investing about £80m on new arrivals.

Three of them started their season opener and, encouragingly for Farke, offered early signs of promise.

Goalkeeper James Trafford justified the £45m - a record for a British goalkeeper - Leeds paid to Manchester City for his services with some decisive stops.

Bosnia-Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemovic not only put in a solid shift in defence but also proved he is a weapon from set-pieces as he tested Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels with a towering header at the other end.

Harry Wilson, who signed for free after 10 goals and seven assists for Fulham last season, almost marked his debut with a goal before he was denied by the offside flag.

"From the very first minute they walked into the building, they have shown their quality," said captain Ethan Ampadu.

"They have shown why they have been brought in to try to help us get to the next level. They've shown that hunger and drive to take Leeds to a better place so that has been very good."

Hear more from Ampadu below or on BBC Sounds here

Farke also echoed his captain's sentiments, saying: "I am very happy because they have big boots to fill.

"Trafford is a good player but he hasn't played that many Premier League games, Tarik too. So they both shined and showed why we agreed to sign them, but the whole group was excellent today.

"Wilson too was excellent. The vibe and mood is good around the place," said Farke, who is now the third-longest-serving manager in the league after Arsenal's Mikel Arteta and Aston Villa's Unai Emery.

With new arrivals making an immediate impact and old faces such as Anton Stach continuing to deliver the goods, Leeds have every reason to believe this season could be their best yet under Farke.

Listen to more from Farke speaking to BBC Radio Leeds' Adam Pope below or on BBC Sounds

Leeds United manager Daniel Farke, speaking to Match of the Day: "I always back my players and Anton Stach always has those moments. I expected a difficult game away at Forest. I'm very happy to come away with a clean sheet and compliments to the players."

On new signings: "Very happy because they have big boots to fill. James Trafford is a good player, but he hasn't played that many Premier League games, Tarik too. So they both shined and showed why we agreed to sign them, but the whole group was excellent today. Harry Wilson, too, was excellent. The vibe and mood is good around the place."

On Leeds' away record: "Away games in the Premier League are always difficult, sometimes the second year is more difficult. Last season we picked up many points with draws. On the road we want to be competitive and be more effective."

On playing Nottingham Forest again on Tuesday: "It's what happens in football, at least we can travel in a good mood."

Leeds captain Ethan Ampadu, speaking to Final Score: "We've been working the last six, seven weeks to make sure we get off to the best start. We can't complain with a 1-0 away from home. We knew it was going to be a difficult place to come. We wanted to make sure we could put our stamp on the game and start the game well.

On new signings James Trafford and Harry Wilson: "From the very first minute they walked in the build they have shown their quality. They have shown why they have been brought in to try and help us get to the next level. They've shown that hunger and drive to take Leeds to a better place, so that has been very good. They've settled in very well. Harry Wilson fits in very well with everyone and I think the fans will enjoy him as well."

Listen to more from Ethan Ampadu on BBC Sounds here

Did you know?

• Leeds United have won five of their last eight Premier League games (D2 L1), with only Arsenal (18) collecting more points in the top-flight since the start of April than their 17.

• Leeds United have won their opening Premier League match of the season for the third successive campaign; it's their joint-longest run in the competition along with between 2000-01 and 2002-03.

Adwaidh Rajan
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Daniel Farke called for more backing after Leeds finished eight points clear of the bottom three last season.

The club responded with an £80m investment to sign goalkeeper James Trafford, winger Harry Wilson and Bosnia-Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemovic.

All three were in the starting line-up at the City Ground, with Trafford proving why Leeds spent a record fee for a British goalkeeper on him as he produced a fine diving save to deny Igor Jesus only 17 minutes in.

Wilson, who scored 10 goals and provided seven assists for Fulham last season, also was lively but would have been disappointed after latching on to the low delivery from Jayden Bogle, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin in an onside position behind him.

However, it was Anton Stach who turned what would have been a satisfactory draw into three points with his moment of brilliance.

One of the best in the league when it comes to set-pieces, the German curled his effort over the Forest defensive wall and just beyond the outstretched hands of Matz Sels in the 88th minute.

Stach has scored five goals from outside the penalty area since the start of last season - more than any other player - while no player has more goals from direct free-kicks during that time than his four.

The winning start could offer Leeds more encouragement to aim even higher this season.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Nottingham Forest's performance

What did you make of Leeds United's display?

Reaction and analysis to follow - and come back on Monday for a selection of your replies.

There are five games in the Premier League on Saturday as the opening weekend continues, and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Hull City v Man Utd (12:30)

• Everton v Crystal Palace - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Ipswich v Sunderland - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2

• Nottingham Forest v Leeds

• Brentford v Tottenham (17:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times 15:00 BST unless stated.

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on your smart speaker. Just say "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to play Ipswich v Sunderland" or "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to play the Tottenham match", for example.

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What a strange season Nottingham Forest had last time, going through four managers and all with differing styles.

They were 'knee-jerk Nottingham Forest' but they stayed up and got to the Europa League semi-finals.

Now? Well Oliver Glasner is in charge and they have got Chris Wood back from injury, which is great news for them - his experience and goals will be crucial.

Of course they are going to miss Elliot Anderson in midfield but holding on to Morgan Gibbs-White was a big deal, and Callum Hudson-Odoi too.

I was delighted for Leeds boss Daniel Farke that he proved people wrong by keeping them up last year.

There will be high hopes they can stay out of trouble this time after signing Harry Wilson, who was so good for Fulham, and James Trafford is an excellent buy too.

I am covering this game for BBC Radio 5 Live but it is almost impossible to predict. Glasner usually went with a 3-4-3 shape at Crystal Palace but has gone on record saying he works with what he has got, so I am not sure how they will line up for this game.

It will be very interesting to see how Forest start, and how Glasner fares. Will he still be there in September?

Sutton's prediction: 1-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Matthew Hobbs
BBC Sport journalist

Nottingham Forest begin Premier League life under Oliver Glasner against a Leeds United side looking to kick on after finishing in the relative comfort of 14th place last season.

BBC Sport examines some of the key themes ahead of their meeting at the City Ground.

Glasner's arrival after winning the FA Cup and Europa Conference League with Crystal Palace is something of a coup for a club that struggled in the league last season despite boasting a talented squad.

Something of a rebuild is required after the influential Elliott Anderson departed for Manchester City and while Forest more than tripled the £35m fee paid to Newcastle United in 2024, they may take some time to adapt to losing the England international.

Forest have brought in experienced Austria international Xaver Schlager as Anderson's replacement, alongside Ivory Coast defender Ousmane Diomande. In another boost, Morgan Gibbs-White appears to be staying put.

With time left in the transfer window to strengthen further, perhaps what the club needs most of all is stability in the dugout.

A merry-go-round of four managers last season was a key factor in Forest's difficult league campaign. They finished 16th after amassing 44 points having finished seventh with 65 the previous season.

The drop-off was the third biggest negative differential in any club's points tally after Liverpool and relegated Wolves.

Each of the last six permanent Forest managers has lost their first Premier League game in charge, since Dave Bassett led them to a 1-0 win away at Spurs in March 1997.

Glasner, though, may be the man to buck this trend - he's won his first league game at four of his five previous clubs.

Leeds United finished eight points clear of the bottom three in 2025-26 and their supporters may also be aiming higher this season after boss Daniel Farke's backing in the transfer market.

James Trafford has arrived for a fee which could rise to a record £45m for a British goalkeeper along with winger Harry Wilson, who scored 10 goals and provided seven assists for Fulham last season, and Bosnia-Herzegovina centre-back Tarik Muharemovic.

Farke can take much of the credit for re-establishing Leeds at the highest level after switching to a back three in December.

Based on results since the change in formation was made, Leeds would have finished seventh in the Premier League table across the remainder of last season.

The improvement in form was also influenced by striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin. He scored 14 league goals, his second-most in a top-flight campaign after 16 in 2020-21.

Would Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk work at Leeds United?

BBC Radio Leeds sports editor Jonny Buchan and commentator Adam Pope have pondered the possibility.

Take a look at the clip above.

Listen to their new Don't Go To Bed Just Yet podcast about the Premier League opener on BBC Sounds here or hit play below

Explore all Leeds United content on BBC Sounds

Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

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While fellow promoted side Sunderland won the majority of plaudits for finishing seventh, Leeds actually had the stronger underlying numbers last season but finished in 14th place as they struggled to take their chances.

Given that Leeds scored the 11th-most goals and also impressively ranked 11th for shots and expected goals, it would seem that their finishing was fine.

But while other teams made more of their chances, Daniel Farke's side actually scored six goals fewer than their xG, finishing with the fifth-worst shot-conversion rate in the league.

They didn't rank so highly at the back but still did well enough for a side in their first season back in the Premier League.

Only the relegated sides and Tottenham conceded more goals than Leeds' 56, which is exactly how many a team has historically let in given the chances that they gave up (55.7 xG against).

Leeds United, Everton and Liverpool are among the clubs monitoring Midtjylland's 22-year-old Chile winger Dario Osorio. (Teamtalk), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

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In the Premier League last season, 13 of the 20 teams finished with between 40 and 60 points - the most in an English top-flight campaign since 2003-04 (also 13).

Was the Premier League so competitive in 2025-26 because the quality of the 'lesser' teams got better or the top teams got worse? It is hard to know for sure.

Given how savvy clubs like Brighton, Brentford and Bournemouth are, the vast amounts of money that enable even bottom-half sides to sign the best talent from abroad and the Premier League's current dominance of the Europa League and Conference League, it would seem to be the former.

However, the fact that promoted play-off winners Sunderland were able to finish above 13 teams in their first season back suggests the league was maybe not as strong as we think.

What we do know is that whether because they got worse or their opponents got better, four of the sides that finished in the top seven in 2024-25 - champions Liverpool, Chelsea, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest - took 79 points fewer between them last season.

While Forest's decline was perhaps expected given their incredible seventh-place finish in 2024-25 and their journey to the Europa League semi-finals last season, the others were far more surprising.

Sunderland and Leeds smashed the recent run of promoted sides struggling to compete by taking 64 more points than the teams they replaced in the top flight.

As a result, this season will be a bit of an upside-down one in that Bournemouth, Brighton and Sunderland have European campaigns to navigate while Chelsea, Tottenham and Newcastle do not.

Will we therefore see a bounce-back to the more 'traditional' order in 2026-27 or are we truly entering a new, fiercely-competitive era of the Premier League?

Read more on the Premier League's competitiveness