Farke said he expects Rutter to leave the club. Nothing has been confirmed yet, but it was an emotional day at the training ground as the player said goodbye to staff and players: “I expect he will leave. It is out of our hands anymore.”

The Leeds boss added: “The news came in the afternoon during our preparation for the game (at Middlesbrough). Georgi was informed. I was informed. The players too. (It was) difficult. To Georgi’s credit, he didn’t rule himself out. He wanted to sleep on it and wanted to help us.”

Given that Brighton have honored a release clause in Rutter’s contract, Farke does not blame the board for the sale: “We tried to convince him, but we have to stick to what was signed in the past. This has nothing to do with our current owners or the chairman.”

However, he is unhappy with the situation Leeds find themselves in in terms of player departures and contracts and reiterated his and the board’s ambitions to return to the Premier League, stressing that chairman Paraag Marathe and the recruitment staff are being as proactive and ambitious as possible.

On whether Leeds, as Marathe said, are capable of competing with the best in the league: “It’s normal for players to wonder what’s going on. At the moment we still have a really good squad, but we need to rebuild some key positions. We know we no longer have the strength to be a big favorite.”

Nevertheless, he agrees with his chairman: “It’s true what Paraag said. I feel supported. He is responsible for bringing about good commercial deals like Red Bull (and) has changed our philosophy in running this club. There will be no more crazy clauses like this in the future.”

Farke added: “Nobody is sadder than Paraag. He didn’t lead the club to be there with the biggest bank account – he wants to bring this club back to where it belongs. He is ambitious but plays by the rules.”

The Leeds boss also said Marathe had done his utmost to keep key players: “He completely respects contracts and the legal aspects, (but) he was the first to fight to convince Georgi. It’s an open secret that we have turned down high offers for other players. (Marathe) said: ‘We don’t want the money – we want the best squad’, but the clause ties his hands.”

On whether Leeds are still a realistic contender for promotion: “We may not be considered favourites at the moment, but I believe in hard work. I have made no secret of the fact that we need to strengthen some positions (and) even more so when a player like Rutter leaves.”

Brief information on the team news: The only injury concern for the trip to the Hawthorns is defender Max Wober (calf).