Leeds United suffered a 2-0 defeat against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium. However, their problems are likely to compound this week.
James Trafford’s error gave Bournemouth the lead in the first half, and Leeds never looked likely to score after Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s goal was disallowed for a handball.
Leeds had one shot on target all game, and Bournemouth scored a second in injury time to seal the win. It was only Leeds’ second defeat of the season in the league, but the issues exposed during the game are worrying.
Daniel Farke has conceded that Leeds lack the individual quality to consistently break down teams happy to sit back, and that issue has worsened.
Read More: Farke must axe Leeds ‘legend’ after Bournemouth nightmare
Leeds sweat over major injury concern
Noah Okafor was a surprise absence from the Leeds squad against Bournemouth. He was dealing with a late adductor issue.
The winger was struggling with adductor problems in the build-up to last weekend’s trip to Sunderland but featured off the bench.
Daniel Farke revealed he trained well last week and was expected to feature on Saturday. However, he complained about the abductor issue after the final training session on Friday.
Leeds kept him out of the matchday squad, and the medical team will further assess the injury over the coming days to determine its severity.
For now, it’s unclear whether the Leeds winger will be declared fit to feature against Tottenham at Elland Road next weekend.
In Okafor’s absence, Daniel Farke got a rare Premier League start on Saturday but flattered to deceive. Harry Wilson also had another anonymous performance against Bournemouth.
Leeds cannot afford to miss Noah Okafor for too long
Losing Noah Okafor for any significant period would be a major blow to Leeds United, particularly given the struggles of their other attacking options.
Okafor offers pace, directness and the ability to carry the ball into dangerous areas, qualities that have been badly missing from Leeds’ attacking play recently.
Harry Wilson is yet to deliver a goal or assist in the Premier League, Brenden Aaronson continues to struggle for consistent end product, while Dan James has failed to make the most of his opportunities. That leaves Farke with very few reliable alternatives capable of changing a game.
Leeds are already short of creativity and attacking threat, and losing another player who can stretch opposition defences would make matters considerably worse.
Farke needs Okafor fit and available because the current alternatives are simply not doing enough.
