Leeds United return to Premier League action this weekend, as they hope to get themselves out of the relegation battle. Their last two results in the league have not helped their cause.
Dropping points to Manchester City and Sunderland have raised concerns around Elland Road over the past week. To make matters worse, West Ham and Nottingham Forest picked up points during the week, which puts the Whites in a bad spot ahead of their game this weekend. The gap between Leeds and the relegation zone has now been closed to just three points over the last week.
Facing Crystal Palace after City and Sunderland is a tough ask – Oliver Glasner’s side have won three of their last five games. Daniel Farke’s men would have gotten a boost this past weekend after their FA Cup triumph over Norwich City.
Daniel Farke has Leeds United selection headache
Leeds United will be away from home this weekend, which will be a big ask to get any points – the club still has one of the worst records on the road this campaign. Going into the game, Farke will have some concerns, especially in defence. Joe Rodon missed out this weekend, as the Leeds boss revealed the Welshman needed some rest after recently returning from injury.
| Competition | Games | Minutes |
|---|---|---|
| Premier League | 27 | 2,367 |
| FA Cup | 1 | 30 |
| TOTAL | 28 | 2,397 |
The Whites are without a win in their last four Premier League games, and will have to put up a huge effort in order to get a result. With nine games to go, every point is important during this run in.
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Jaka Bijol should start against Palace
Joe Rodon’s status for the game is unclear; sometimes hamstring injuries take a while to really recover from. If he is not fully fit for this weekend, it gives Daniel Farke a huge dilemma. Jaka Bijol was one of the best players on the pitch against Norwich this weekend, and if he is ready to go, he should be in the starting lineup against Crystal Palace.
If Rodon is not available, that leaves Sebastiaan Bornauw and James Justin as the options to replace him. Daniel Farke has already showed this season that he does not trust Bornauw, so it is likely that Justin will feature as the third center back alongside Jaka Bijol and Pascal Struijk.
