At this stage in the season, Leeds United fans are paying as much attention to their relegation rivals as they are to their own club, with eight games left to go in the Premier League.
Ahead of their game against Brentford this evening, Leeds have seemingly been handed a major injury boost with Noah Okafor suggesting he is ready to be involved in the squad following a post on his social media.
For the most part, Leeds have managed to keep the vast majority of their key players fit throughout the campaign, with the likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Ethan Ampadu being relied on by Daniel Farke week after week.
The same cannot be said for Leeds’ relegation rivals Tottenham, however, who have just suffered an injury which could define their season.
Guglielmo Vicario to undergo surgery next week
Leeds have been no strangers to having trouble with their goalkeepers in the last few seasons, whether it’s been Illan Meslier or, most recently, Lucas Perri regularly making costly mistakes when he has played.
The same can also be said of Spurs’ first-choice goalkeeper Vicario, who has been the subject of scrutiny this season for his performances.
But when Igor Tudor decided to drop Vicario for the first leg of their Champions League tie with Atletico Madrid on 10 March, his replacement, Antonin Kinsky, was subbed off after 17 minutes, having been at fault for two goals.
However, Kinsky could soon find himself back in the starting XI at Spurs after they confirmed on their official X account that Vicario will undergo hernia surgery next week, with the hope that he will be able to return to action within the next month.
For Leeds, the prospect of a keeper devoid of confidence in Kinsky being forced to start games for a direct relegation rival is only a positive for them at this stage of the season.
READ MORE: Premier League issues key announcement ahead of Leeds United v Brentford clash – The Leeds Press
Data suggests Leeds have solved their goalkeeping crisis for now
Whilst Spurs fans will be anxiously watching Kinsky over the coming weeks, hoping he does not make another costly error, Leeds do not seemingly have to worry about their goalkeeping situation anymore, with Karl Darlow impressing as of late.
The Welshman has steadied the ship for United in between the sticks since Perri was taken out of the team, and aside from a particularly poor performance against Arsenal at Elland Road, Darlow has proven to be a safe pair of hands for Leeds.
- Darlow has started 14 games for the Whites this season in the Premier League
- The 35-year-old averages 2.4 saves per game
- Darlow also kept a clean sheet in his last outing as ten-man Leeds held on against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park (Sofascore)
Hopefully for Leeds, whilst they have stability in goal from now until the end of the season, the uncertainty that Spurs face will lead them to drop more points from now until the end of the season.
