Leeds United's Daniel Farke says his Archie Gray concerns 'have eased a lot' as teenager shows durability

And whilst that worry has been put to bed, Farke is unsure what the future holds for the 17-year-old in terms of his position.

The combination of his surname – he is the son of former striker Andy, grandson of European Cup finalist left-back Frank and great-nephew of club legend Eddie – and talent marked Archie out for scrutiny from an early age.

Marcelo Bielsa involved him in first-team squads aged 15, but he only debuted this season.

Striking the balance between giving youngsters opportunities and burning them out is tricky, but Gray has looked comfortable starting 30 of Leeds' 34 Championship games this season and coming off the bench in two more.

"I was a bit more careful in my judgement at the beginning of the season because you can't just rely on a 17-year-old as a cornerstone of your team," said Farke, whose team are at Chelsea in the FA Cup fifth round on Wednesday.

"You can't really predict how it will work out in terms of his body, how he can handle the load, especially in the Championship with such a tough, physical league but he's doing excellently. My concerns I had at the beginning of the season have eased up a lot.

"We'll still be careful and whenever there is the chance to give him a little break we are tempted to do this."

He has also taken a change of position in his stride, from central midfield to right-back.

"It's not like the central midfield position is more valuable than the full-back position," said Farke.

"Who knows, perhaps he ends up always playing full-back because he has all the ingredients to be outstanding in this position.

"But I wouldn't rule out this season him playing a few more times in the central midfield position."