Leeds United return to Premier League action on Monday night, with the Whites making the trip to Old Trafford to take on their bitter rivals Manchester United.
With Leeds playing on Monday, there is a real possibility that Daniel Farke’s men could see their four-point cushion to the drop zone be reduced to just a single point if results go in favour of their relegation rivals.
On top of this, Leeds are without multiple of their key players ahead of their upcoming clash with Man United, with both Anton Stach and Joe Rodon being ruled out injured.
Other players, such as Jaka Bijol and Noah Okafor, were also described as doubts by Farke in his pre-match press conference, with the German potentially being forced to field a much weaker lineup in one of the Whites’ biggest games of the season.
Ao Tanaka to be handed a start at Old Trafford
Tanaka was superb in midfield for United as they progressed into the semi-final of the FA Cup by defeating West Ham at the London Stadium.
The Japanese midfielder opened the scoring after some quick footwork in the box as the 27-year-old reminded Farke what he is truly capable of.
For this reason, expect Farke to keep Tanaka in midfield for Leeds on Monday night, next to Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev, to balance the midfield with more defensive assurance.
Lukas Nmecha, who earns around £43,000 a week according to Capology, is one of those who started in Leeds’ cup tie, but is expected to drop to the bench with United returning to Premier League action after a largely lacklustre display from the forward.
The same can be said for Lucas Perri, who, despite making some impressive saves, will likely find himself watching on from the bench unless there is a last-minute injury to Karl Darlow.
The Leeds Press predicted lineup: Perri, Bogle, Bornauw, Bijol, Struijk, Justin, Ampadu, Gruev, Tanaka, Aaronson, Calvert-Lewin
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Data suggests Leeds can take confidence from the reverse fixture at Elland Road
Farke’s team has proven that, aside from the games against Arsenal, they are capable of competing with every team in the Premier League.
Man United are no different, with Leeds holding their bitter rivals to a 1-1 draw at Elland Road when the two sides met in the reverse fixture back in January.
United took the lead after Brenden Aaronson’s tidy finish; however, a costly Perri error gave Man United a way back into the game just a few minutes later.
- Leeds had an xG of 0.9, whilst Man United created 1.58 xG
- The visitors had three big chances as they grew into the game late on, whilst Leeds had just one
- Man United also edged possession upon their visit to West Yorkshire, having 55% of the ball (Sofascore)
If Leeds can keep the game this tight and nick another point, it will be a valuable one that will aid them significantly in their battle to avoid relegation, with any positive result easing some of the pressure on the mammoth six-pointer they have coming up against Wolves in their next home game.
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