Jayden Bogle, Joe Rodon and Jaka Bijol (Credit: Imago)
Leeds United team news emerged this week, as two players were marked as doubts before this Sunday’s game. The Whites will face Chelsea for a place in the FA Cup final.
Many did not expect a cup run from Daniel Farke’s men, but things seem to have gone their way. And now they have a chance to reach the final of the competition for the first time in decades. They are up against a broken Chelsea side coming off the back of a huge defeat midweek. The Blues also sacked Liam Rosenior, with Calum McFarlane set to be in the dugout on Sunday.
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Daniel Farke has revealed that Leeds could be without Jayden Bogle and Anton Stach. Ilia Gruev has been ruled out for the rest of the season.
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The semi-final will most likely see Ao Tanaka continue to deputise for Anton Stach. The Japanese international has been one of the best performers in recent weeks, starring in the win over Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Sunday could be a key day for another Leeds star; Joe Rodon. Since returning from injury the defender has looked very rusty. He was erratic in the final moments of the Bournemouth game, with some fans criticizing his performance. Pascal Struijk on the other hand, had a solid game beside Jaka Bijol. This weekend could see Rodon back in the lineup if Bogle remains injured.
James Justin would move to right back, allowing the Welshman to return to the heart of the defence. And Joe Rodon must do everything possible to stay and keep his place with his performance against Chelsea.
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With Rodon out, Farke has relied on Struijk and Bijol, with Justin alongside them. The trio only conceded one goal at Old Trafford, and kept a clean sheet against Wolves. If the Welshman comes back into the team, and plays like he did midweek, then he might be on the bench for the rest of the season. In this crunch time, Farke has stuck with his best eleven with minimal rotation. So it is crucial that Rodon plays his best at Wembley. Other players in this Leeds team have found themselves sidelined for similar situations, and the Welshman must do his best to avoid that.