Inside Elland Road: Defensive solidity is vital for Leeds Utd
Leeds United head to the City Ground for their final Premier League game before the November international break.
Leeds United will hope to enter the year’s final international break with a positive result when they face Nottingham Forest this afternoon. Daniel Farke’s side lost 3-0 at Brighton last time out and will be desperate to put that disappointing performance behind them at the City Ground.
Despite winning just one of their last five games, Leeds remain above the relegation zone and cannot drop into it regardless of today’s result. The Whites are currently one point ahead of 18th-placed West Ham, who won 3-1 at home Burnley in 17th on Saturday.
But Farke and his squad will be looking to increase that gap ahead of the upcoming break against a Forest side with just one Premier League victory all season. Leeds’ 19th-placed hosts are already on their third manager of the season and in two league games so far, Sean Dyche has taken one point.
Willy Gnonto should be back in the squad after a combination of calf problems and hernia surgery kept him out since mid-September. And as of Thursday, Leeds had no other injury issues to manage heading into this afternoon.
An almost fully-fit squad has left Farke with some decisions to make regarding selection, however, most notably in central midfield where neither Ao Tanaka nor Anton Stach can nail down a starting place. Both have been decent in spells but unable to enjoy a complete performance for several weeks.
Big selection calls for Daniel Farke
Farke also has a call to make at right-wing amid the early return to fitness of Dan James. The Welshman has come off the bench in Leeds’ last three games and should be fit to start, should he get the nod over Brenden Aaronson and the returning Gnonto. On the left, it will almost certainly be Noah Okafor.
Read More
Forest, meanwhile, have a raft of injury issues to manage including former Leeds striker Chris Wood, who is expected to miss out with a knee injury. The New Zealander joins Ola Aina, Douglas Luiz, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Angus Gunn is likely missing out, while winger Callum Hudson-Odoi is a major doubt.
It’s set to be a tense affair down by the River Trent with Leeds knowing three points could send them into the break as high as 13th, while it would guarantee a four-point gap to the relegation zone. A point would pull them above Fulham while defeat would really tighten things up at the wrong end of the table.
As ever, the YEP will bring you the build-up and all-important team news when it drops this afternoon. We’ll also have live coverage of goings on at the City Ground, with chief football writer Graham Smyth on hand for all the post-match reaction and analysis.
Continue Reading