Leeds United simply must respond after two damaging defeats in the past few days, losing to Arsenal and then Sheffield Wednesday on penalties, which needs transfer activity to remedy.
An EFL Cup run is the least of Leeds’ worries this season as they battle to stay in the Premier League, but putting in a solid display with several debutants featuring last night was important.
However, a disastrous and embarrassing evening unfolded as United were booted out of the cup by what was virtually Sheffield Wednesday’s U21 side.
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Bad to worse: Ao Tanaka suffers MCL injury and is out for “a few weeks”
Leeds’ midfield struggled to shift the ball with any real urgency or penetration against the Owls, and it stuck out that Ao Tanaka wasn’t present in the side.
Ruled out with injury after an issue picked up in the Arsenal defeat, Daniel Farke confirmed post-match that it’s a worrying setback for the Japan international.
(REUTERS/Scott Heppell)
“MCL injury,” Farke revealed, per The Athletic. “He will also be out for a few weeks. It’s difficult at the moment to say exactly when he can return, but also definitely not before the international break.
“It’s quite a similar injury to Ethan Ampadu’s injury and, of course, it’s tough to take that two of our key players in central midfield are out within a few days with the same injury after a tough tackle. That’s football. We have to get on with it and find some solutions.”
Daniel Farke responds to Leeds United transfer question after Ao Tanaka blow
The question now, with five days left in the window, is how Leeds will not only respond to an alarming week of results as well as these two setbacks to Tanaka and Ethan Ampadu.
Tanaka’s setback, though, isn’t directly prompting Leeds into a transfer re-think, as Farke was asked at Hillsborough.
“I think all our defensive and midfield positions are sorted. We would like to add quality in offence,” Farke said, per Isaac Johnson.
Leeds United need creative transfer addition ASAP after Sheffield Wednesday embarrassment
Noah Okafor and Willy Gnonto looked decent last night, while it was good to see Leeds having a focal point up front in Lukas Nmecha and then Dominic Calvert-Lewin – in spite of both struggling to convert chances.
However, there is a massive lack of a creative spark in this team, emphasised any time Jayden Bogle is not on the pitch, which is a worrying statement to make considering he’s a right-back.
The next five days could end up deciding what our chances are of staying in the division, on top of question marks over Farke’s credential to do the job.
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