Daniel Farke already has major Leeds United selection headache with two key players – View

Leeds United completed the signing of Karl Darlow recently, seeing them add quality to their goalkeeping slot alongside Illan Meslier

The Whites haven’t been the swiftest when it has come to incoming transfer business this summer, taking until mid-July to bring in signings for the senior side.

club are moving into gear now with two through the doors, the second of those being goalkeeper Karl Darlow,However, the  arriving from Newcastle for a reported £400,000 fee.He comes in to provide clear competition to Illan Meslier in goal, with both now vying for the starting spot as Leeds take on Cardiff City this Sunday.

 

Here, we look at two things Daniel Farke needs to weigh up as he plans his goalkeeper selection process…

Pre-season preparations aren’t that much different for the pair here, with Darlow prominent in Newcastle’s friendlies previously, while Meslier has featured under Farke too.

In terms of how they come into this season, it’s safe to say that Darlow has been performing the better of the two after his loan stint with Hull City.

Meslier was axed from the Leeds lineup in the final four games of last season and it’s a decision that perhaps came too late after some woeful form from the Frenchman.

A quiet summer of getting his head down and back to what he can do best was needed for Meslier, but can he recapture his peak form in an instant?

Fans may have seen Darlow’s howler against Rangers, offering a total hospital pass to Bruno Guimaraes seeing the midfielder caught out before the hosts scored past Darlow.

Playing out from the back is going to be a massive part of how our ‘keeper operates under Farke, and that includes a range of short and long passing.

Meslier didn’t cover himself in glory last season, granted it didn’t help that Leeds operated with no width for two thirds of the season under Jesse Marsch.

Darlow operated fairly comfortably at Hull, and should be able to do a good enough job under Farke, while demonstrating strong shot-stopping and sound handling too.