One of Daniel Farke's first Leeds United picks set for move away as fans warned over pitch invasions

It is a sign of how the Norwegian has failed to convince at Elland Road this season that he is being sold at a time when full-backs are thin on the ground.

Sam Byram is the club's only specialist right-back after the January departures of Djed Spence and Luke Ayling, but is instead their first choice at left-back, where Junior Firpo is the only competition as the ultra-versatile Stuart Dallas continues his recovery from a broken leg.

Midfielders Archie Gray and Jamie Shackleton are the options at right-back.

Hjelde is a centre-back by preference but has played much of his senior football at left-back, both with Leeds and on loan at Rotherham United last season.

Sunderland are expected to pay around £1.5m for the 20-year-old, but a percentage is due to Celtic, under the terms of his 2021 move to West Yorkshire.

Hjelde was in Daniel Farke's first competitive starting XI as Leeds United manager, at home to Cardiff City in the Championship, at left-back, and kicked off August's League Cup tie against Shrewsbury Town and Salford City but struggled, and has not featured since.

Leeds are actively looking to bring in another defender before Thursday's 11pm deadline with former York City player Ben Godfrey, now at Everton, a potential loan option but one Sheffield United are also interested in.

Meanwhile, Leeds have reminded supporters of their zero tolerance policy towards pitch invaders after another at the end of Saturday's FA Cup fourth-round game against Plymouth Argyle.

The invader was a child and some fans were unhappy with the way he was treated as he was marched off the field, but the Whites have reiterated that such offences – even by minors – will lead to a one-year ban being issued to parents/guardians.

Leeds' hardline stance is partly because they have been fined £40,000 for such incidents by the Football Association in the past 12 months, and are expecting another fine now, with the potential for the capacity at games to be reduced.

Three supporters have been issued with bans in he past week.

This weekend saw two much more troubling instances of fans on the pitch with a Port Vale fan chasing referee Craig Hicks because he was unhappy with a decision, and supporters spilling on at the West Bromwich Albion versus Wolverhampton Wanderers FA Cup tie as fighting broke out between fans.