Leeds United are in an excellent position with just seven games to go in the current Premier League campaign.
Last August, if you told any United supporter that the Whites would be four points clear of the drop zone and in the FA Cup quarter-final by the end of March, most would not have believed you.
Despite this, Leeds’ form has begun to falter as of late, with Daniel Farke’s side being winless in their six league outings whilst also failing to score in four of these games.
The March international break sees many of the Whites’ first-team regulars go away to be with their respective national team, giving one fringe player in particular a huge opportunity to salvage his season and save his Elland Road career.
International break is the last chance for Facundo Buonanotte to impress Daniel Farke
Buonanotte’s loan move to Leeds has been nothing short of a disaster since the Argentinian moved to West Yorkshire in January.
The 21-year-old has not made a single Premier League matchday squad for Leeds since their game against Buonanotte’s former club, Chelsea, back in February, with the playmaker being an unused substitute at Stamford Bridge.
The last time Leeds fans saw the youngster in action was during their FA Cup clash with Birmingham, however Buonanotte was hooked at half-time after a dismal first-half display.
The international break means Leeds’ next fixture is not until 5 April, when the Whites travel to take on West Ham in the FA Cup, meaning Buonanotte has a golden opportunity over the next ten days or so to impress Farke in training whilst the majority of his regular starters are away from Thorp Arch.
Given the lack of creativity in Leeds’ performances as of late, Farke will surely be keeping a close eye on Buonanotte in training, but it is ultimately up to the forward to make himself undeniable when it comes to receiving gametime between now and the end of the season.
Data suggests Facundo Buonanotte has been underutilised this season
It’s fair to assume that if Buonanotte cannot earn Farke’s trust during the international break and convince the German that he is worthy of gametime in the FA Cup against West Ham, then it is unlikely that the youngster will feature at all for the remainder of the campaign.
Last season with Leicester, Buonanotte was able to record seven goal contributions in 31 appearances in the Premier League, with just 14 of those appearances being starts.
- Buonanotte has seen his involvement shrink substantially this season, making just three Premier League appearances
- His only start of the season came for Chelsea against Brentford back in September
- Unsurprisingly, in the total 74 minutes of action he has managed in the league this season, Buonanotte is yet to score or assist (Sofascore)
Buonanotte has previously proven he is capable of unlocking defences at this level, but he must convince Farke to hand him the metaphorical key in the games for United during the run-in.
