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Phil Hay reveals whether Bamford or Nketiah will start for Leeds v Derby

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Patrick Bamford will start for Leeds United ahead of Eddie Nketiah against Derby County on Saturday, according to Phil Hay. 

The Arsenal loanee has been in electric form of late, hitting four goals in his first six matches for the Yorkshire giants.

But Hay has suggested that Marcelo Bielsa will keep faith in Bamford, who has started every one of United’s Championship matches so far this term.

Writing on his personal Twitter, he said: “It’ll be Bamford ahead of Nketiah again today but intrigued to see if Bielsa makes changes out wide.”

Is Bielsa making the right call?

There seems to be a growing desire to see Nketiah given his first league start for Leeds, and understandably so.

After all, he has hit four goals in six matches so far, averaging a strike every 62 minutes in a white shirt, as per Transfermarkt.

But his stats have been far more impressive than the odd tap-in here and there.

The youngster has averaged 6.9 shots per 90 minutes in the Championship so far this season, as well 1.2 key passes, and 1.2 successful dribbles, as per Whoscored.

Evidently, the 20-year-old is a well-rounded and effective creative talent, as well as a natural goalscorer, and it is surely only a matter of time before he is given the nod by Bielsa in a league game.

But Saturday’s clash with Derby promises to be a feisty one.

Following last season’s Spygate debacle and the heartbreak of the play-off semi final defeat, United will have plenty to prove against the Rams, and for all of his precociousness, it would be a real baptism of fire to throw Nketiah into that kind of environment for his full league debut.

Furthermore, Bamford hasn’t exactly warranted the axe.

The forward has hit four in seven in the Championship, and has averaged 3.9 shots per game, as well as registering a Whoscored rating of 7.00.

In short, it would be harsh to oust him for Nketiah, no matter how well the youngster is playing, and it could well be that Bamford’s added experience comes in handy in this sort of match.

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