Leeds United team news is in for this evening’s huge Elland Road showdown against Premier League title-chasers Manchester City.
Whites boss Daniel Farke has named his Leeds United team for this evening’s huge Elland Road showdown against Premier League title-chasers Manchester City.
In a big defensive call, Jaka Bijol stays on the bench as James Justin keeps his place at centre-back as part of an unchanged side.
The headlines, though, concern the visitors for whom Leeds-born star Erling Haaland is not part of the matchday squad.
Farke revealed at Thursday’s pre-match press conference that left back Gabi Gudmundsson has recovered from the illness that led to him being taken off at the interval of last weekend’s 1-1 draw at Aston Villa.
There were fears that Gudmundsson might not be able to feature at all at Villa Park but the defender came through 45 minutes of a difficult half before being taken off.
Leeds, though, and Gudmundsson, have since had a full week without a game.
Giant Slovenian defender Jaka Bijol was named on the bench at Villa as James Justin instead got the nod to partner Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk in three man centre-back axis.
Bijol, though, then replaced Gudmundsson at half-time as Justin moved over to play at left back.
Striker Lukas Nmecha and later midfielder Sean Longstaff were the only other two Leeds players to come off the bench at Villa, replacing Brenden Aaronson and the game’s star man Anton Stach respectively.
Farke reported at Thursday’s press conference that Gudmundsson’s return had left attacker Noah Okafor as the only injured player.
Swiss winger Okafor suffered a hamstring injury in the closing stages of the FA Cup clash at Birmingham City and remains on the comeback trail.
Okafor was expected to be looking at two to four weeks out.
Leeds United: Darlow; Bogle, Justin, Rodon, Struijk, Gudmundsson; Ampadu, Gruev, Stach; Aaronson, Calvert-Lewin. Subs: Perri, Bornauw, Bijol, Longstaff, Tanaka, James, Gnonto, Nmecha, Piroe.
Manchester City: Donnarumma, Nunes, Dias, Guéhi, Ait-Nouri, Rodri, Bernardo (C), O’Reilly, Semenyo, Cherki, Marmoush. Subs:Trafford, Reijnders, Stones, Ake, Doku, Nico, Savinho, Khusanov, Foden.
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