Leeds United manager Daniel Farke has revealed that he is sweating on the fitness of Ao Tanaka after the 5-0 defeat to Arsenal at The Emirates on Saturday.
Speaking after the game, the German head coach explained: “After a tackle in the first half, he had problems with his MCL.
"He kept going and I hope it’s not too bad. I hope the assessment is not too bad. There are a few concerns that it would be an injury but it’s normally positive that he could play further on. But we will have to assess him and we will see how long it takes to get him fit and back to full fitness.”
Farke says that he hopes that it is not a bad injury for Tanaka, and that feeling may be compounded by a similar injury to club captain Ethan Ampadu last week.
Ethan-Ampadu
The Wales international is due to be out until after the international break, at least, with an MCL injury that was sustained against Everton on the opening day.
That injury to the skipper allowed Ilia Gruev to test himself at Premier League level against the Gunners on Saturday, but he was unable to impress with his showing in midfield.
Why Ilia Gruev may not be the answer for Leeds
Speaking ahead of the clash with Arsenal, Farke revealed that Sean Longstaff is more suited to playing as a number eight instead of as a replacement for Ampadu in the number six role, which is why Gruev was then selected against Arsenal.
Unfortunately, though, the Bulgaria international failed to show the defensive strength and quality that was needed to protect the back four, in what turned out to be a hammering by Mikel Arteta's side.
ilia-gruev-leeds
The left-footed maestro only started 20 times in the Championship last season, per Sofascore, and won 52% of his duels in the second tier as Leeds largely dominated games with the ball.
Gruev's lack of physicality meant that there was always going to be a question mark over his head going into the Premier League season, and his performances in the first two games have not changed that.
Ilia Gruev Vs Everton Vs Arsenal
Minutes 13 90
Pass accuracy 80% 92%
Key passes 0 0
Tackles 0 1
Interceptions 0 1
Duels won 0/1 1/3
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the former Werder Bremen star has only won one of his four duels in 103 minutes of action in the top-flight to date.
His lack of physicality was on display in the 5-0 defeat to Arsenal as he only won one duel in 90 minutes against a side that was constantly attacking his half of the pitch, which shows that he was not offering enough protection in front of the back four.
Ilia-Gruev-Leeds-2
The Championship champions are now reportedly keen on bringing in another option in that area of the pitch who could come in as an upgrade on Gruev.
Leeds eyeing move for Bundesliga midfielder
According to Monday’s edition of Bild, as relayed by Sport Witness, Leeds United are one of the teams in the race to sign Borussia Monchengladbach defensive midfielder Julian Weigl.
The report claims that the Premier League side and Al-Shabab FC are both contenders to land a deal for the Germany international before the end of the summer transfer window.
It states that the Bundesliga outfit are set to allow him to move on before the deadline after the player requested to be allowed to explore a move elsewhere.
Sport Witness relay quotes from Gladbach director Roland Virkus explaining the situation: “The important thing was: He asked us to release him for talks. We are also in talks. That’s the way it is. That doesn’t mean he won’t return to the squad if they fail. That’s open. It was important for Julian to be able to hold talks with the clubs."
julian-weigl
It is said that Weigl is available for a fee of around £5m, amid interest from Leeds and Al-Shabab, and it is now down to the 49ers to get a deal done for the German star.
Why Leeds should sign Julian Weigl
Off the back of the injuries to Ampadu and Tanaka, securing a cut-price deal to sign Weigl from Gladbach as an upgrade on Gruev in the number six position could be a shrewd move by the club.
The 29-year-old star is a natural number six who could slot into that role at the base of the midfield when Ampadu is unavailable, or off the bench when needed.
Julian-Weigl
Speaking about Weigl's style of play, defender Marc Bartra once said: "He is very similar to Busquets. He dictates play from midfield and helps us a lot when we lose the ball, it looks like he always has everything under control. He really reminds me of Busquets a lot, even if there is obviously still some distance between the two of them."
As someone who played alongside Busquets at Barcelona and Weigl at Borussia Dortmund, Barta is possibly the best-placed person to make such a connection, and it speaks to the profile of player that Leeds would be signing.
Sergio Busquets for Spain
Sergio Busquets for Spain
The German ace could be Farke's own Busquets at the base of the midfield as an upgrade on Gruev who can offer more to the team out of possession in what is set to be a scrap to avoid relegation from the Premier League.
24/25 Bundesliga Julian Weigl per 90 Percentile rank vs midfielders
Tackles + interceptions 3.16 Top 37%
Clearances 2.69 Top 20%
Shots blocked 0.84 Top 2%
Percentage of dribblers tackled 60.9% Top 13%
Blocks 1.69 Top 28%
Challenges lost 0.56 Top 13%
Aerial duel success rate 67.2% Top 2%
Stats via FBref
As you can see in the table above, Weigl ranked highly among his positional peers in the Bundesliga last season in a host of defensive metrics, including his success rate in duels on the deck and in the air.
These statistics show that he can be a dominant defensive force against opposition players at the top level, whilst Gruev was not outstanding physically in the Championship and has struggled with the physicality of the Premier League so far.
gruev-farke-leeds
Weigl, who started 33 games in the Bundesliga last season, per Sofascore, is an experienced campaigner who has played for Farke in the past and has proven himself in one of Europe's major leagues.
This is why he could come in as a fantastic bargain signing for £5m as an upgrade on Gruev due to the defensive and physical qualities that he can bring to the number six position as a Busquets-esque figure.
This is why Farke should be pushing the club to get this deal done before the deadline because he could be an experienced alternative to Ampadu at the base of the midfield, as a strong and dependable option who can be relied upon as a defensive force.