Leeds United have lost three of their last four matches in the Premier League and will be hoping to head into the international break off the back of a positive result.
The Whites travel away from Elland Road to take on Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Sunday, after they were beaten 3-0 by Brighton last time out in the division.
Daniel-Farke
Daniel Farke's side have failed to score in four of their five away matches in the Premier League so far this season, and they need more than just Noah Okafor to step up in the final third.
Why Leeds United need another Noah Okafor
The £18m signing from AC Milan has provided a spark at the top end of the pitch this season, with two goals and one 'big chance' created in six league starts, per Sofascore.
Okafor, who completed five dribbles against Brighton, scored an excellent goal in the club's only away win in the Premier League so far this season, utilising his pace, composure, and quality to find the back of the net against Wolves.
The Switzerland international is the club's joint-top scorer in the league, alongside Joe Rodon, and the top scorer from open play, which speaks to how important he is to Farke's side at this moment in time.
Noah-Okafor-Leeds
However, the fact that no other forward in the squad has produced more than one goal in the Premier League so far this season is a cause for concern moving forward, as it suggests that the manager does not have many reliable options in the final third.
Fakre could, though, unearth his next version of Okafor by finally unleashing the rarely-seen Wilfried Gnonto as a starter against Nottingham Forest this weekend.
Why Leeds should unleash Wilfried Gnonto
The Italy U21 international returned from a calf injury ahead of the clash with Brighton, per the manager, but he was not included in the matchday squad for that game, which means that he has not featured in a game since the 1-0 loss to Fulham in the middle of September.
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Gnonto has only played four times in the Premier League so far this season, per Sofascore, and this means that the rarely-seen star has not had too many opportunities to prove that he can make a positive impact in the top-flight.
The Italian winger's form in the Championship in the 2024/25 campaign suggests that there is more to come from him than the zero goals and zero assists that he has managed so far this term.
24/25 Championship Wilfried Gnonto Percentile rank vs wingers
xG 8.22 Top 7%
Goals 9 Top 9%
Shots on target 29 Top 7%
xA 3.74 Top 22%
Chances created 46 Top 13%
Assists 6 Top 13%
Stats via FotMob
As you can see in the table above, Gnonto ranked among the best wingers in the second tier when it came to scoring and assisting goals last season, despite only starting 26 of his 43 appearances in the league.
The 22-year-old talent, who was once described as "explosive" by U23 scout Antonio Mango, has the potential to be an Okafor-esque player for the Whites if he can finally carry his output over to the Premier League.
When the Whites were last in the top-flight, Gnonto produced two goals and four assists in 14 starts as a teenage winger, per Sofascore, which shows that he can make an impact at that level when he is at his best.
It is now down to Farke to help him hit those heights again by finally unleashing him on the right wing now that he is fit and available for selection, because the youngster is an electric winger who can be a difference-maker like Okafor if Leeds can get him firing.