Leeds United fans were elated when the Whites started their Premier League campaign with a win at Elland Road. The club shocked the league with a win over a very respectable Everton side.
Daniel Farke’s men now have three points in the bag – something that the newly promoted teams last year only got after their first few games. The win was impressive and Leeds dominated proceedings; they would have scored more but were let down due to poor finishing.
The match ended on a bit of a sour note as Ethan Ampadu went off with a painful-looking injury. Daniel Farke has now confirmed that the midfielder has been ruled out for the next few months.
”Bad news with him, sadly. The next games we have to play without him. MCL injury, he will definitely be out until at least the international break. I hope to have him back the other side of the international break.”
QUIZ: Can you name the team Leeds United signed these players from in the 2000s?
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Daniel Farke suggests replacement for injured Leeds United star
Credit: Imago
The dilemma for the Leeds boss is who replaces Ampadu in the middle of the park on Saturday. With the new additions, there is still a lot of competition among the options on the bench. Farke has spoken on what fans could see against Arsenal:
“Anton could play there, Ilia Gruev did well there on Monday. Sean Longstaff is an option, more a No 8 rather than a No 6. Ao Tanaka played there when it was clear we would have more of the ball.”
Leeds move to a three-man midfield, after playing with a pivot for most of last season in the Championship.
Midfield dynamics for Arsenal game
From Farke’s words, it is clear that Ampadu is the anchor of that three-man midfield. Replacing him will be very important. Against Arsenal, Leeds will not have much of the ball, so a more defensive option will have to slot in – making Anton Stach the most likely candidate out of the options. Fans will have to wait and see what tricks the Leeds boss has up his sleeve when they visit the Emirates this Saturday.
