The Bulgarian featured in both of his country’s defeats during the international break in September, but whilst he spent the first game on the left side of a back three against Iran, he was restored to central midfield against Montenegro, and he was more happy for it.

“I feel much better in midfield (but) I play wherever the coach lets me,” he said after the second game, a 2-1 loss in which Stevan Jovetic scored in the sixth additional minute for a home team reduced to ten men.

Both Gruev and fellow deadline-week acquisition Glen Kamara have played important minutes for their respective countries this week.

Gruev’s need was less acute because he began the Bundesliga season at Werder Bremen, but Kamara transferred to Elland Road from Rangers without playing a single minute this season.

He came on as a late substitution in Sheffield Wednesday’s 0-0 tie.

Gruev started both games, while Kamara came on as a 67th-minute replacement in Thursday’s 1-0 triumph over Kazakhstan.

However, after contributing to Oliver Antman’s goal, he earned a starting spot on the left of a midfield four in the 1-0 loss against Denmark.

Leeds boss Daniel Farke signed both to provide midfield cover and competition. If Leeds are short in defence, Ethan Ampadu, who has started the season strongly in central midfield, is a more obvious choice than Gruev. Ampadu started the first half of Wales’ 0-0 friendly match with South Korea and is poised to start the European Championship qualifier against Latvia on Monday.