Leeds United will be hunting for their first away points of the Premier League season at Fulham on Saturday in what is their first 3pm kick off of the season.
The Cottagers have not lost to a newly-promoted side at home since December 2023 and will be yearning for three points having yet to register a win. United’s last trip to London saw them thumped 5-0 by Arsenal before a humiliating cup defeat to Sheffield Wednesday a few days later.
Of course, Fulham possess two players Leeds wanted this summer. The club were holding out for Rodrigo Muniz for much of the summer before the pivot to Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
What made the failed transfer deadline day pursuit of Harry Wilson more jarring was the fact the player himself had signed off on the deal before Fulham pulled the plug. The travelling Leeds faithful will hope fate does not come to bite them on Saturday.
Injury issues
This big news is that Lucas Perri is out for the next two games with a quad issue, meaning Karl Darlow will play his first Premier League match in nearly four years at Fulham. He has less than half of the Premier League appearances Meslier does, with just nine clean sheets in 52 outings.
Lukas Nmecha and Joel Piroe are also slight concerns but Daniel Farke, speaking yesterday, did not convey that they were serious. There is hope elsewhere, too. Ao Tanaka and Ethan Ampadu face late fitness calls with both back in training following their knee setbacks.
Joe Rodon is fine to play after undergoing concussion protocol following a headed challenge against Newcastle United. Leeds will hardly be outscoring teams this season, so must be tight at the back.
All eyes will be on how Darlow fares against Premier League talent again, some of whom are 10 years his junior. As for injury concerns overall, this first opening month has seen a few fears realised. Keeping the squad fit is so important for the season ahead.
Open play goal
Firstly, the objective is to merely score by any method given Leeds have not done so for more than 180 Premier League minutes. However, ideally, United would like to score from open play - something they have yet to do in the league so far.
In fact, Leeds have barely looked like offering a goal threat since Pascal Struijk forced David Raya into a save early on at Arsenal. The xG rating of 1.01 for the goalless draw with Newcastle United told the story - Leeds can be sturdy at one end but are lacking potency at the other.
Going four or more games without a goal from open play would start to inflate the issue from a mere concern to more of a prominent worry, especially after the failure to acquire more offensive players in the final week of the window. It would underline Farke’s “difficult” analysis when it came to securing survival with current options.
Calvert-Lewin to start?
One player who can help with allaying concerns is Calvert-Lewin. The striker has made two substitute appearances so far, responding to a disappointing debut with a spritely showing against Newcastle United.
However, given his hefty wage packet and the fact he is the club’s number one striker pick, the 28-year-old ought to be starting a game before long, with these last two weeks of training hugely beneficial towards his journey back to full fitness.
"He's been in team training for four weeks," Farke reiterated at Thorp Arch on Thursday. "Of course he can't be 100% as he needs game time and rhythm but each and every day is beneficial.
"The longer he stays fit, the longer he is with us in team training. He's also in contention for the game on the weekend."
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