Leeds United begin their Premier League run in with a difficult fixture away to Manchester United on Monday night. Daniel Farke’s men have eight games left to save their season.
Their win over West Ham in the FA Cup would boost morale, but league games are a much more difficult prospect. The Whites face a Manchester United side who have just one defeat in their last 10 games. Michael Carrick has done a great job reviving their season, and they will be keen on ending it on a high. Leeds on the other hand seriously need a result to avoid relegation. As things stand, just three points separate them from the relegation zone.
Injury crisis could force Daniel Farke to recall Leeds United star
The FA Cup quarterfinal win brought more worries than joy to Daniel Farke. Anton Stach went off injured before half time and Joe Rodon also picked up a knock early in the second half. The Leeds boss confirmed that both players could be out for the rest of the month. Ahead of Monday night’s game, Farke also said that Dan James and Noah Okafor could be doubts.
And this could be a problem for the Whites, considering that they lack depth in attacking areas. With James and Okafor out, this leaves Wilfried Gnonto as one of the only natural wide players available. It could be that the Italian plays his first league game since the start of March against Manchester United. The Italian is one player who could be out of the door at the end of the season, due to lack of playing time.
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Wilfried Gnonto should be trusted more
Gnonto has really been given the short end of the stick this season; last year he was the spark plug off the bench and he changed games when needed. This season, he was moved down the pecking order after Noah Okafor was signed. And what has made his lack of minutes even more baffling is that Dan James has not been fit throughout the season. Daniel Farke has had no excuse to sideline the Italian, but has consistently done so this season.
The winger offers pace and directness and is a real handful for defenders. In the comeback against Liverpool at Elland Road, he showed all the attributes that should be making him a regular in this side. He won a penalty that aided in getting a result, and terrorized the defenders down the flank. Farke needs to lean on him more in this run in if he really wants to stand a chance at survival.
