Leeds United are back in action in the Championship this afternoon as they prepare to host Southampton at Elland Road on the final day of the regular season.

The Whites head into today's match knowing that they are likely to end up in the play-offs, but there is a slim chance that they can still land second place.

Daniel Farke's side need to pick up all three points against Southampton in Yorkshire and then hope that Huddersfield Town do them a favour by beating Ipswich Town, who are three points ahead of Leeds, at Portman Road.

One change the German head coach must make against the Saints to give his side the best chance of doing their half of the job is to ruthlessly ditch Joel Piroe from the starting XI in order to unleash Mateo Joseph.

Joel Piroe's struggles this year

Since the turn of the year, the former Swansea star has scored three goals, one of which was from the penalty spot, in 23 appearances for the club in all competitions.

The 24-year-old attacker has scored one goal in his last 14 games for Leeds, which came in a 2-1 defeat to Coventry last month, and this run of form does not suggest that he is making the most of the opportunities that Farke is giving him.

With Patrick Bamford missing with a bruised knee, Piroe was selected to lead the line against QPR in the 4-0 defeat last time out and the Dutchman failed to make a big impression.

Yorkshire Evening Post's Graham Symth handed the striker a match rating of 2/10, citing his lack of impact, as he failed to score from three shots on goal and lost nine of his 11 duels during the match.

Therefore, if Bamford remains out with his knee issue, Joseph should be brought in to replace Piroe, whose poor return in front of goal and 2/10 performance in the last game should see him ruthlessly dropped to the bench.

Why Mateo Joseph should be unleashed from the start

The 20-year-old marksman is yet to start a Championship game for Leeds this season but his Dutch teammate's form suggests that it is now worth giving the academy graduate a chance to shine.

Joseph, who has scored one goal and provided one 'big chance' in 19 appearances as a substitute, has not started a match for club or country since the FA Cup defeat to Chelsea in February.

As you can see in the table above, the Spain U20 international stepped up to the mark when called upon and produced quality at Stamford Bridge, with two goals from three shots against the Premier League side.

However, the 5 foot 11 star, who was described as a "major talent" by U23 scout Antonio Mango, has not been rewarded with a league start since that breakout performance against the Blues.

With Bamford possibly out through injury and Piroe going through a drought in front of goal, this clash with Southampton could be the perfect time - ahead of the play-offs - to see if Joseph has what it takes to be a difference-maker for the Whites.