Daniel Farke is preparing his Leeds United side for a big Premier League game tonight, when Sunderland are scheduled to visit Elland Road.
Leeds suffered a heartbreaking 1-0 defeat at home on Saturday against Manchester City, a game marred by controversial refereeing decisions and a Farke red card, which the club are hopeful of reversing ahead of the Sunderland clash.
However, the table has not changed much for Leeds as results in other games mean the club are still six points clear of the relegation zone and stays 15th in the Premier League standings.
A win over Sunderland could go a long way towards ensuring that Leeds are still in the Premier League next season, and it seems the manager is unlikely to change his team much tonight.
Leeds boss Daniel Farke is unlikely to be popular with several members of his squad
The Leeds boss is known for being a big fan of consistent team selections, and squad players rarely get an opportunity to get regular minutes under him.
However, given the quick turnaround this week, there were suggestions that the manager could tweak his team a bit more to keep his players fresh.
However, the Leeds boss has indicated that he will not be changing his team much against Sunderland at Elland Road tonight as he believes a 72-hour break between two games should be enough for players featuring at this level.
Farke said in a press conference: “I consider this anyway, always when we have a quick turnaround.
“In this turnaround, I’m not too concerned about the load and the ability to recover. I’m always a bit more careful when we have an evening kick-off and travel.
“For us, we have three proper nights between games, no travel, and we have more than 72 hours. If you’re not capable of recovering after 72 hours, then you shouldn’t play professional football.
“But I can always freshen up because of form, a little illness, opposition, but not one player who isn’t ready to go because he’s tired.”
Leeds squad players will be fuming
Farke’s latest admission means the squad players in the Leeds ranks can expect to be on the bench again when Sunderland visit Elland Road tonight.
The Leeds boss is expected to stick with the same team despite the Whites playing three games in a span of eight days.
This will come as a source of major frustration for players such as Ao Tanaka, Wilfried Gnonto and Sean Longstaff, who are keen to impress again in the starting eleven.
Leeds United Premier League Stats – Longstaff vs Tanaka vs Gnonto| Stat | Sean Longstaff | Ao Tanaka | Wilfried Gnonto |
|---|---|---|---|
| Games | 17 | 20 | 15 |
| Goals | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Assists | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Minutes | 946′ | 743′ | 364′ |
However, they are unlikely to get that opportunity, and that is likely to anger these squad players who have legitimate reasons to feel aggrieved.
Results meant everything at this level, and if Leeds keep getting the points needed to survive, no one would bat an eyelid at what these players are feeling.
However, this could also spoil the dressing room atmosphere if results go wrong and Farke continues to trust the same set of players in the starting eleven.
