Wales keeper Karl Darlow given opportunity to impress in Premier League

Leeds manager Daniel Farke has expressed full confidence in back-up goalkeeper Karl Darlow with the Wales international primed to step in this weekend in the absence of Lucas Perri.

Summer-signing Perri is expected to miss the next two games through injury, and with Darlow having moved ahead of Illan Meslier – who had been expected to leave during the transfer window – in the pecking order towards the end of last term, the 34-year-old is in line to start at Fulham on Saturday.

Darlow has 52 Premier League appearances to his name from an eight-year spell with Newcastle, and finished last season as Leeds’ number one as he played the final seven games of their Championship-winning campaign.

“How Karl kept his nerve and performed at the end of last season in the crunch-time period was outstanding and in pre-season he looked unbelievably sharp and with top fitness level,” Farke said.

“He will come in and I am pretty sure he will deliver a top performance at the weekend and he is an experienced goalkeeper. He knows the Premier League inside out and is not a guy that cracks under pressure and for that he has all of our backing and confidence.”

Leeds have taken four points from their opening three Premier League games, beating Everton, losing to Arsenal and then holding Newcastle to a goalless draw.

Reflecting on their start, Farke said: “Rock-solid defending and to be difficult to beat and difficult to create chances against is always the first steps as a newly promoted side and this is what we have to do.

“A good balance will always be important but we won’t change our DNA. We had games against Newcastle and Everton not parking the bus. We were dominating in many periods of the game…We have to make sure our fighting spirit, our team spirit and also our togetherness is top class.”

Darlow, who is first choice for Wales and has turned in some impressive performances under Craig Bellamy, last year revealed how a Zoom call with the Wales boss finally kick-started his Wales career.

“At different times in my career I’ve had probably different commitments in terms of getting to play games,” explained Darlow, the grandson of Wales 1958 World Cup squad member Ken Leek.

“There have been certain points in my career when I didn’t feel it was right for me to come. I feel now I’m so motivated and determined to help this Welsh squad qualify for the World Cup.

“I had a fantastic Zoom meeting with the manager. Everything he said ticked all my boxes and he was pleased with how I came across as well.

“It’s a new era and the main goal for me and the squad is to get to the World Cup.”

Darlow first came under the Wales microscope over a decade ago during a loan spell at Newport.

He has gone on to make more than 250 career appearances with spells at Newcastle and Nottingham Forest and helped Leeds return to the Premier League, taking over the number one spot from Illan Meslier at the tail end of last season.

“I probably thought this door was closed, but I’m delighted the manager wanted me here,” said Darlow.

“We collided together at the right time and we’ve got certain similar ambitions.

“There’s a World Cup I’d be desperate to be part of, and if I can help in that journey then that’s something I can look back on my career and be proud of.”