Leeds United lost two key first-team players ahead of Saturday's win over Fulham.
Leeds United boss Daniel Farke has revealed the reason why he took a summer signing out of the starting line-up ahead of the win against Fulham.
Lucas Perri was always due to drop out of the Leeds side for the FA Cup game at Derby County because Farke planned to rest him and give Wales international Karl Darlow some involvement. The expectation was that Perri would return between the sticks at Elland Road against Fulham. But when the team sheet was published it was Darlow in goal and not the Brazilian, whose costly high profile errors against Manchester United and Newcastle United appeared to cost him his place.
Farke confirmed that Perri's form and a sense that the situation was weighing on the summer arrival were behind the change in net.
"It's a bit tricky situation," said Farke. "I have so much respect for Lucas. He came in relatively late in pre-season, was injured, played a few games and was again injured. On this level as a promoted side you need a keeper there with top performances or you can't stay in the league. You need a bit more, even as a newly-promoted side than a side who dominates the ball always like we did in the Championship. In the last weeks he has not delivered perhaps what we were expecting on this level. There is always pressure. We have Karl, a really reliable, solid goalkeeper, was fantastic for us in the run in last season and when Lucas wasn't available."
Farke was critical of Perri's decision making in the lead up to Manchester United's equaliser in the Elland Road draw and then again a few days later when the keeper got a hand to Harvey Barnes' game-winning shot without keeping it out. And with the noise around the situation building, he took the decision he believes best to protect Perri.
"We also got the feeling, so we need to take Lucas a bit out of the spotlight, because he's a really thoughtful guy and intelligent, smart guy, but also the pressure, it felt a bit like a weight on his shoulders. We wanted to take him out of the spotlight and then give him also the chance right now in training, to work to his best, to achieve his best possible level again, because sadly, he wasn't able to show this in the last weeks."
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The goalkeeping decision was not Farke's only big call ahead of the game. Injuries to Jaka Bijol and Anton Stach, suffered in the final training session ahead of the meeting with Fulham, presented him with a selection headache. Though he had natural centre-back Sebastiaan Bornauw available again, the Belgian did pull up at Derby with an issue. And Joe Rodon was available but he too had a recent injury, so Farke was reluctant to risk them both in the starting line-up. James Justin took on the centre-back role out of possession and played as a right-back when Leeds had the ball and earned praise from his boss again.
As for the two who missed out, Stach could be back for Everton having picked up an adductor strain. But Jaka Bijol could be out for between three to five weeks. Any form of set-back would send Leeds into the transfer market prior to the deadline, says Farke.
"I think it depends a bit on how the next days will develop," he said. "It's predicted three to five weeks, we will see. Let's see how it develops. Important player for us. If there would be a set-back with Jaka's rehab late in January we would react. But until then I'm fine. If something strange happens I think we should react but at the moment there's no need for panic."
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