Lukas Nmecha has scored in each of his last three Leeds United appearances
Isaac Johnson Leeds United reporter
09:00, 20 Feb 2026
Lukas Nmecha has seven goals this season
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Lukas Nmecha has seven goals this season(Image: Richard Martin-Roberts - CameraSport via Getty Images)
Lukas Nmecha has scored in each of his last three Leeds United appearances yet might still be dropped from Daniel Farke’s starting XI at Aston Villa.
The manager has tended to play a wide player alongside Dominic Calvert-Lewin up front due to the team morphing into a 3-4-3 formation when in possession. Away from home, Brenden Aaronson has been the player to play in the supporting striker role.
He tends to drift inside from out wide to dovetail with Calvert-Lewin, as was exemplified so successfully away at Newcastle United last month. And so he might be handed the nod in that role at Aston Villa, who are currently sitting inside the top three.
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Anton Stach is back available for this game but despite being a regular for Farke, he may have to settle for a bench place initially having missed the last three games with a flexor issue. Sean Longstaff could therefore get his first Premier League start since November, sitting alongside Ethan Ampadu.
Ilia Gruev has started the last eight Premier League games and has been a notable presence in his last two appearances, particularly against Nottingham Forest when he grabbed two assists.
Pascal Struijk returning from injury allows James Justin a well-deserved rest, having played the full 120 minutes against Birmingham City in Sunday’s FA Cup clash. He is able to come in alongside Jaka Bijol and Joe Rodon in the back three.
Gabriel Gudmundsson also played the full number of minutes at St Andrew’s but he will likely start again given the lack of esteemed fall-back full-back options. Jayden Bogle played on the right against Chelsea and came on in that role against Birmingham but could return to his usual right-back slot at Villa.
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Lucas Perri was the star of Sunday in many senses given his first-half save and his penalty shoot-out stop but Farke indicated that the goalkeeper pecking order will stay as it is for now, meaning Karl Darlow remains in net.
Noah Okafor will not be making the squad amid his hamstring injury but Daniel James is contention to be selected having returned to training following his back injury.
Predicted XI: Darlow; Rodon, Bijol, Struijk; Bogle, Longstaff, Ampadu, Gruev, Gudmundsson; Aaronson, Calvert-Lewin.