Leeds United are set to host Norwich City in the fifth round of the FA Cup at Elland Road today. They are looking to reach the quarter-finals of the competition for the first time since 2003.
With Premier League survival still the main focus, Daniel Farke is expected to rotate his squad for the cup clash at home against Championship opposition.
A few of the squad players, who have been starving for minutes in the Premier League, are expected to be in the starting eleven when the team news is announced later in the day.
There are expected to be changes in midfield, and Ilia Gruev may have reasons to worry as his place in the team could come under threat if any of his replacements impress today.
Ilia Gruev will be nervously watching the game today
Gruev has started the last 11 Premier League games this season, and Farke is expected to take him out of the team for the FA Cup game at Elland Road.
| Competition | Matches | Assists | Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premier League | 20 | 3 | 1,251 |
| FA Cup | 1 | 0 | 73 |
| EFL Cup | 1 | 0 | 71 |
| Total | 22 | 3 | 1,395 |
Sean Longstaff and Ao Tanaka are expected to come into the team to partner with Ethan Ampadu in the middle of the park against the Canaries.
Anton Stach is likely to return to the starting eleven in the next league game, but if either Longstaff or Tanaka impresses, Gruev’s place in the team could come under the scanner.
The midfield duo will be desperate to impress, especially Ao Tanaka. He has been an unused substitute in the last few weeks for the Premier League games.
Longstaff and Tanaka would love to give Farke a selection headache by putting on an impressive performance against one of the in-form teams of the Championship today.
Tanaka’s future at Leeds could hang in the balance today
Tanaka has not played any part in Leeds’ last six Premier League games. He has been on the fringes of Farke’s plans in the league since the turn of the year.
The midfielder has struggled since suffering a knee injury in the early part of the season and has never really won back his place in the team since his return.
He has not started a Premier League game since December and is nothing more than a squad player at Leeds at the moment.
However, today could be the opportunity for him to show that he deserves to play more. The midfielder can probably save his Leeds career ahead of the end of the season.
With Leeds in the market for a midfielder, Tanaka seems to be the player who could be sold to make way for the arrival of a new signing.
However, Tanaka can save his Leeds career if he plays well against Norwich and proves to Farke that he needs to play more in the league from now until the end of the season.
