The international break is well underway and a number of Leeds United players have been in action for their respective countries over the last few days.
It has been an opportunity for some of the club's squad options to get some much-needed minutes away from Elland Road in order to stay match fit and give Daniel Farke a reminder of what he has at his disposal ahead of their clash with Norwich next weekend.
One player who may have given the German head coach something to think about is Bulgaria international Ilia Gruev, who lined up at centre-back against Lithuania on Saturday.
Minutes played
90
Duels won
Three
Duel success rate
75%
Pass completion rate
88%
How many games has Gruev played for Leeds?
The summer signing from Werder Bremen has made three substitute appearances for the Whites so far this season and is yet to make his full debut.
He is a central or defensive midfielder by trade but his outing for Bulgaria as a centre-back suggests that he is also comfortable in defence, which is something that Farke could look to explore.
Gruev lined up on the left of the defence, despite being right-footed, and could, therefore, develop into a surprise heir to 32-year-old Leeds captain Liam Cooper, whose contract expires next year, instead of working his way into the midfield set-up.
Could Gruev replace Cooper for Leeds?
The Bulgaria international has strong defensive instincts and could eventually replace the Scottish defender at Elland Road if Farke unleashes him as a centre-back and helps the ace to utilise his impressive skills in defence.
Gruev made 2.5 tackles and 1.25 interceptions per 90 in the Bundesliga for Bremen last season, which placed him within the top 26% of his positional peers respectively.
That came after he managed 2.64 tackles and 1.58 interceptions per 90 for the German side during the 2. Bundesliga campaign the previous year, which ranked him within the top 12% of players in his position.
The 23-year-old battler also ranked above average for Bundesliga midfielders for blocks (1.31) and clearances (1.19) per 90 last term.
These statistics show that Gruev, who his former coach Ole Werner dubbed "clever", is an excellent defensive option in midfield who is able to make multiple vital interventions per game to cut out opposition attacks.
Cooper, meanwhile, has made 1.8 tackles and interceptions combined and made 1.4 clearances per game across five Championship outings this term.
The Scotland international, who has completed 89% of his attempted passes this season, turns 33 next year and it remains to be seen whether or not Leeds are prepared to extend his current deal.
If Farke and the club opt against a new contract for Cooper then a place in the squad as a centre-back to challenge Pascal Struijk for the position on the left of the defensive pairing could be up for grabs.
Gruev's strong defensive qualities suggest that he has the raw tools to be utilised as a superb option at the back and his display for Bulgaria shows that the 6 foot 1 enforcer is willing and able to play in that role.
