Leeds United summer recruit set for biggest test of his ability v Coventry City: View | OneFootball

FLW outline the key battle during the game between Leeds United and Coventry City at Elland Road.

Leeds United host Coventry City at Elland Road in what should be another huge Championship clash on Saturday afternoon but one battle in particular is worth keeping an eye on.

The Whites now find themselves sixth in the Championship, just five points adrift of West Brom at the top of the league table. Not only that, but they head into the game off the back of three wins in the last four league fixtures.

They are looking to continue their momentum after their win over the weekend to Cardiff City, with Daniel Farke's side winning away from home 2-0. That was after a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Burnley at home the week prior.

Coventry, on the other hand, have won just once this season from six games in total in the league, including losing and drawing in each of their last four games. They are hoping for another promotion push of their own but have started the season in their usual slow fashion under Mark Robins.

His side could only manage a ninth-placed finish last season but the Sky Blues were and still are, to a certain extent, seen as among the main teams most fancied for at least a play-off berth in the 2024/25 campaign.

Farke will once again have a number of decisions to make regarding his Leeds starting line-up when the Whites welcome Coventry to West Yorkshire. The Sky Blues picked up a point at Elland Road last season and won in the reverse fixture back in April.

This weekend’s contest marks a clash between the last two season’s beaten play-off finalists, who each have plenty of quality players on their respective sides to call upon, but two players are likely to be at the centre of deciding the outcome of the contest.

Jayden Bogle's start to life with Leeds

Leeds have not seen enough of the full potential of his attacking upside but Jayden Bogle’s attacking contribution was at its very best on Saturday against Cardiff. He will hope to replicate such a performance against Cov.

He is one of their biggest assets to stretch the pitch and also as a source of genuine productivity in the final third, and Leeds fans want to see more of this side of his game, as opposed to playing too deep where he is less involved in attacking play.

He also won the penalty and created the best quality chances of any player in the match, during what was his best performance in a Leeds shirt so far. The display was important after Bogle came under some criticism for a few of his recent performances from some Leeds fans.

He has shown some issues when defending the other way, primarily on his debut against Portsmouth. The 24-year-old may have defensive deficiencies but Bogle was acquired as an attack-minded full-back and the net gain of that should be seen in the long run.

He could be a matchwinner for Leeds down the right on Saturday, especially as Coventry's weaker side in a defensive sense is more likely to be down their left and Leeds' right. If Bogle plays close to as well as the Cardiff fixture or if he is left with space to roam and combine down that flank, then Leeds should have plenty of joy.

However, can he handle the opposition in a defensive sense? Coventry poses a different kind of threat to what Bogle has come up against so far.

Haji Wright's threat for Coventry against Leeds

Haji Wright can be a force of nature at times. His powerful running, pace, strength, and eye for goal make him a destructive attacking player at Championship level.

Leeds have four very good quality wide players of their own in WIlly Gnonto, Largie Ramazani, Manor Solomon, and Dan James. However, none are of the same kind of forward profile as Wright. The USMNT international is a striker or left-sided winger, who will operate in central spaces and scored plenty last season in that hybrid role.

Wright blew Coventry fans away with his dominance in attack and his crucial goals during his first year at the club. The forward netted a total of 19 in all competitions, but also assisted a respectable eight goals. His ability to play through the middle as well as on the wing made him an important cog in Robins' side and vital to his promotion plans.

The USA international was signed for a club record fee of £7.7 million, and he has scored 21 goals for the club so far. He is their main attacking threat, alongside Ellis Simms, with whom he formed a formidable partnership at the top end of the pitch last season for Coventry.

If that campaign is anything to go by, he can help push the club into the play-offs with his crucial goals. Simms seemingly thrives alongside Wright, and it gives food for thought from Leeds' perspective.

Bogle has yet to come up against a player of such calibre and speed since joining the Whites, and it is likely to mean he cannot go as far up the pitch as he would like, with the threat of Wright in transition on the counter-attack too great for Bogle to be caught up field and out of position.

Wright thrives in big open spaces, and he will hope that Coventry are able to generate plenty of transitional moments on the break on Saturday. Should Leeds dominate the ball, Bogle will want to join the attack but Leeds and Farke have to be wary of the threat the other way even more than in any other ordinary Championship fixture.