Leeds United are preparing for their first away match of 2025. The Whites head to Yorkshire rivals Hull City on the back of a frustrating home draw with Blackburn Rovers.

A last-gasp strike from Danny Batth denied United maximum points as Daniel Farke's team missed the chance to put more distance between themselves and third-placed Sheffield United. The result stretched their unbeaten league run to seven matches.

United will fancy their chances of returning to winning ways this Saturday. The Tigers are third-from-bottom after accumulating a meagre 22 points from 25 matches this term.

READ MORE: Paul Merson reveals his big Leeds United 'worry' in the Championship promotion battle

READ MORE: Leeds United in 'pole position' to sign £10m defender amid new Jack Harrison transfer claim

Farke held his pre-match press conference under an embargo in the immediate aftermath of the Rovers clash. Here is what the Whites boss had to say:

On Junior Firpo's injury rehab

"He's more or less in the final stages of his rehab. He's not in team training yet but I hope after the Hull game that he will return back to team training, perhaps even before the FA Cup game if everything works out before the upcoming days. It's looking good and pretty soon he will be back in team training."

On the demanding festive schedule

"It's exhausting to be honest. You always have to be switched on to prepare for the next opponent. It always helps when you have pretty good results like we have done in the last weeks. The mood is good and you see the progress.

"Once you're top of the league, it's always an enjoyable situation but there's still lots of work and you have to be pretty switched on.

"It's a busy, tough period in terms of workload but I'm used to it. I know December and January are tough months in the Championship."

On potentially adding to the squad

"Quality players always help and to add a quality player with good character is always good but I'm also not a big fan of doing too much in January. Of course, if you are forced into doing something due to injuries or something is really missing in the group, then you have to react.

"But once you head into January sitting top of the table, they can't be too much wrong in the group. Sometimes when you do too much business it can disturb the spirit right in and around the group. They are pretty tight together and everyone is needed. Everyone chips in. We need everyone with the rotation. We have a pretty tight group and I like this. I don't like when a group is too big.

"Of course, when there are a few injuries, you wish for a few more players. But once everybody is fit and you've perhaps got four players for one position, it can also be a bit negative for the spirit and the togetherness. When you're on a good run, you can't allow yourself to be too naive to not stay awake until the end of the window if there are perhaps opportunities."

On facing Hull City

"It's always tricky when a new manager comes in and brings new ideas in. Even after a few more weeks, you see more changes. It will be a different Hull side in comparison to what we faced at Elland Road.

"They have got quality players and have really good options in the offence. Of course, they will be disappointed with the first half of their season but I'm pretty sure they will try to use this home game to win important points. We are aware they will be a threat. We have to be spot on like we have been in the last away games with what we do, our team selection and set up."

On Isaac Schmidt's lack of game time

"My door is always open. Once a player comes, he always gets an answer.

"Sometimes you are proactive as a coach when you get the feeling there is a bit to explain. Of course, there are some differences. A player who plays more or less each and every game perhaps deserves more of an explanation when he's not playing than perhaps a player who is 16 to 17-year-old like Sam Chambers, for example. I think that's quite normal and natural. There will always be an honest answer.

"In the Blackburn situation, I was already thinking about changing to a three-man formation. I wanted to have my captain Ethan on the pitch in this difficult game and we had the chance to play with three centre-backs and that was the reason I brought him in and not a natural replacement like Isaac Schmidt, who is more of a offensive minded full-back and can't play as a third centre-back.

"But whenever a player has a question, my door is always open."

On Max Wober's fitness

"I liked his performance in the second half. He looked sharp and played his part in the build up to the penalty. I was a little worried before the game because I thought that Max would only be capable of 20 to 30 minutes maximum to chip in but I got the feeling after the first half that we couldn't allow Sam Byram to play 20 more minutes because he looked so exhausted.

"It was perhaps a little risky to play Max for 45 minutes but he's an experienced player and I thought he could manage himself a little bit. It's good for him to come through another 45 minutes and it's good to have him back."

On the promotion race

"I don't look too far ahead. I don't have a special points amount for January and February. It is game after game.

"We are on an incredible run. Someone told me that this is the best Christmas run this club has ever had in terms of points. We are on a really good run but you always have to be switched on and ready for the next game to make sure this run continues.

"We had a good run last year and we didn't get promoted. If you want to finish in the top positions, you can't stop winning points. We are on 52 points right now and we are top of the league. We have a really good points tally, more than two per game, but if we stop winning points we won't make the top six, never mind the top two.

"If you are in and around 90 points, we know we will have a good chance of finishing in the top positions in this league."