Leeds United manager Daniel Farke has been told that Joe Rodon’s absence for the game against Liverpool may benefit his side.
Joe Rodon has been ever-present for Leeds in the league since joining the club on an initial loan deal, having amassed over 100 consecutive starts since the beginning of the 2023/24 season.
However, Rodon’s injury against Sunderland means the Welsh international will sit out the trip to Anfield, forcing Daniel Farke to rethink his tactical set-up for the game.
Farke elected not to introduce Sebastiaan Bornauw against Sunderland, instead reverting to the back four that troubled Liverpool so much when the two sides met at Elland Road earlier this season.
Now, the Yorkshire Evening Post’s Graham Smyth has suggested that Rodon’s injury could play into Farke’s hands, as he looks to guide Leeds to another upset against the defending Premier League champions.
How would you line-up at Liverpool without Joe Rodon? 🤕
Would you stick with 3-5-2 or switch formation?
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Joe Rodon’s injury may play into Leeds United’s hands
Speaking on the Inside Elland Road podcast ahead of Leeds’ trip to Anfield, Smyth explained why he believes Leeds could benefit from Rodon’s absence.
According to Smyth, the fact that Farke can keep Liverpool manager Arne Slot guessing over his side’s formation can only be a good thing ahead of the game.
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Smyth said: “The Rodon thing throws another spanner in the works and a question mark. And Leeds now have genuine unpredictability.
“Because you don’t know whether he’s going to go three at the back with Bornauw or James Justin or, less likely, Byram, maybe even Ampadu, or if he’s going to go back four, and go with what they finished the game with against Sunderland.
“[He could] stick another midfielder in there, let Aaronson go further forward or keep Aaronson in the midfield and put Gnonto in.
Joe Rodon is the last player Leeds would have wanted to get injured – Discuss 🗣️
Daniel Farke has confimed he will miss the trip to Liverpool.
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“Even though he’s got injuries right now, it feels like there are options available to Farke, but an unpredictability that will just keep the opposition guessing, a lot more so than at the start of the season when you knew it was going to be 4-3-3.
“Or even when he moved to 3-5-2, you kind of knew that it was going to be that for a while.”
Leeds United looking to defend proud record
Farke’s side will start the new year in a much better place than they were at the start of December, having put together a strong run of recent form.
T.S. Eliot described April as the cruellest month in his epic poem “The Waste Land”; however, January has been the opposite for Leeds in recent years, according to the BBC.
Joe Rodon injured v Sunderland.
Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN / AFP via Getty Images
Leeds last lost a game in January under Jesse Marsch in 2023 and have since put together a 10-game unbeaten run in the first month of the new year, winning six and drawing four.
Only Arsenal have a better record in the top four leagues, having avoided defeat in their last 11 league games played in January. Farke will be hoping his proud January record remains intact after Leeds’ trip to Anfield.
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