The sight of midfield enforcer Ilia Gruev returning to action ahead of schedule was the perfect way for Leeds United to round off their first win of 2025.

The Bulgarian international made his first appearance in almost three-and-a-months in Saturday's hard-fought FA Cup win over Harrogate Town at Elland Road. Gruev was given a big hand by the home faithful after coming on for Wilfried Gnonto. It was a welcome boost for the Whites to have Gruev and Junior Firpo back in the fold after injury lay-offs.

"To be honest, I am not sure I would have involved him (Gruev) in the squad for a league game," revealed boss Daniel Farke in his post-match debrief. "I was half hoping there was a chance to introduce him and give him the confidence back (against Harrogate). But it was also no gift, as I am normally a bit more careful after a long-term injury.

READ MORE: Leeds United learn new Louie Barry transfer timeline after Aston Villa decision made

READ MORE: Outgoing Leeds United player has two things to prove after securing transfer switch

"He also had one or two training sessions in the last week together with us, at least in part of the sessions. He looked so sharp during this week, I was really surprised how good he looked.

"He just looked ready and it was a big boost for the whole group as he was priceless before the injury and he looks so sharp in this league. But I don’t expect him to be ready in two days for 90 minutes. But he looks much further on in finding his rhythm back than I thought he would be."

It will take Gruev time to get up to speed and for him to build up his match sharpness. Given the competition for places in the middle of the park, Farke has the luxury of easing Gruev back into the fold.

But the Whites chief will have an extremely difficult decision to make when Gruev is fully fit. United have five senior midfielders on their books in Gruev, Ethan Ampadu, Ao Tanaka, Joe Rothwell and Josuha Guilavogui.

Skipper Ampadu has filled in at centre-back and in central midfield since returning from injury. Farke has described Ampadu as his "most important player", suggesting it is Ampadu and another in the midfield engine room.

So much of Farke ball is centred around control and avoiding unnecessary risks. Ampadu gives them some much-needed bite and physicality that is vital to the way Farke wants his team to play.

A trait Ampadu, Rothwell and Tanaka all share is their adaptability. Rothwell and Tanaka sacrificed some of their attacking instincts for the good of the team after Ampadu and Gruev both suffered injuries in the space of four days. Their knocks prompted Farke to bring in Guilavogui to give them more back up in the centre. Rothwell and Tanaka stepped up and showed they are more than capable of performing well in the deeper midfield roles.

Gruev proved his worth in the second half of last season as the Whites went on a long unbeaten run to put themselves in the mix for automatic promotion. It could be a case of Gruev will have to bide his time and wait for an opportunity to stake a claim.

There are two ways Farke could shoehorn more midfielders into the starting line-up. He could drop Ampadu back into the defence, something he seems reluctant to do judging by the Harrogate Town FA Cup tie, or by pushing Rothwell into the No 10 position. The chances are he will resist the temptation to deploy Rothwell higher up the pitch and drop Brenden Aaronson to the bench. Aaronson has been a first team regular this season.

One thing is for sure, some good players are not going to be selected over the coming weeks and months. Let battle commence!