Leeds United’s next Premier League match sees them take on fellow relegation fighters Nottingham Forest at Elland Road, desperate to bounce back from a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Arsenal. With Leeds and Forest both tied on 26 points, six points above the relegation zone, the Whites will be desperate to come out on top and create some daylight between themselves and the drop. Here is our Leeds United team news and predicted lineup.
Leeds Team News and Predicted Lineup for Huge Relegation Clash vs Nottingham Forest
How Leeds Have Lined Up Recently
It was a miserable afternoon for United goalkeeper Karl Darlow against Arsenal, with the Welshman conceding four goals that included a miserable own goal from an in-swinging Noni Madueke corner. With no goalkeeper added in the January transfer window, Daniel Farke will now have to choose between Darlow, Lucas Perri, and the forgotten Illan Meslier as his side battle for survival.
It was a similarly tough afternoon for Leeds’ back three, with James Justin joining Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk in the continued absence of Jaka Bijol, as they failed to put any real pressure on Arsenal’s impressive forward line. At wing-back, Gabi Gudmundsson and Jayden Bogle continue to put in 110% every game, but were unable to have much of an impact against the Gunners.
Read More:Liam Rosenior’s Tactical Switch at Chelsea
Farke opted for a midfield trio of Ethan Ampadu, Ilia Gruev, and Anton Stach, with German international Stach playing in a slightly more advanced role than his counterparts. However, with both Sean Longstaff and new man Facundo Buonanotte on the bench, Gruev will likely make way as Leeds look to bounce back against Forest.
Read More:Daniel Farke Praises ‘Brilliant Character’: Teases Future Involvement for Leeds
Up front, the partnership of Brenden Aaronson and Dominic Calvert-Lewin endured a very quiet evening, with the Whites managing just one shot on target in 90 minutes against the Gunners. It is now three league games without a goal for Calvert-Lewin, who will be desperate to notch his tenth goal of the season against his old boss Sean Dyche’s side.
Leeds Recent Form and Tactics
Leeds had a relatively quiet January, bringing in just one new face in the form of Brighton’s Buonanotte, who has so far only made two brief cameos from the bench. With two caps for Argentina under his belt at just 21 years old, the attacking midfielder has serious potential, and a winnable home fixture against Nottingham Forest could provide a perfect opportunity for him to be unleashed.
Read More:Chelsea Team News & Predicted Lineup vs Arsenal
When Farke first switched to a back three system against Manchester City back in November, which he then used to defeat Chelsea 3-1 in the following game, he opted for a 3-5-2 shape with Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha as two out-and-out strikers. However, the German has since made a number of subtle changes to his system, incorporating Aaronson as more of a second striker alongside Calvert-Lewin to increase his side’s creativity.
Read More:Bruno Fernandes in Pursuit of an Elite Premier League Record
With the addition of Buonanotte, the Whites now have the ability to switch to a 3-4-2-1 system, with one of the midfield three dropping out for the Argentinian, who would operate alongside Aaronson behind the big striker. This would give Farke’s side additional attacking thrust and creativity, which could be particularly effective against fellow bottom-half sides.
Leeds Team News
Leeds will be without midfielder Stach to take on Forest, with Farke confirming that he will miss two games with @hip problems.”
Nmecha will also be unavailable, as he has not yet returned to team training following a minor hamstring issue.
Bijol is back in training and likely to come back into the side against the Tricky Trees, giving Leeds a huge defensive boost.
Leeds United Predicted Lineup
GK: Karl Darlow
CB: Joe Rodon
CB: Jaka Bijol
CB: Pascal Struijk
RWB: Jayden Bogle
LWB: Gabriel Gudmundsson
CM: Ethan Ampadu
CM: Sean Longstaff
CM: Brenden Aaronson
ST: Noah Okafor
ST: Dominic Calvert-Lewin