Daniel Farke has named his Leeds United starting XI vs Manchester City this evening
Isaac Johnson Leeds United reporter
16:23, 28 Feb 2026
Lukas Nmecha
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Lukas Nmecha(Image: Visionhaus/Getty Images)
Lukas Nmecha does not start against Manchester City this evening, despite his second half showing alongside Dominic Calvert-Lewin against the Blues in November's reverse fixture.
Nmecha started that game but really came to life when dovetailing with half-time substitute Calvert-Lewin came on, scoring a rebound from a saved penalty to square the game 2-2 with Leeds having been 2-0 down.
That was a sliding-doors moment in the season yet Daniel Farke has decided to play more cautiously in a 3-4-2-1 set-up rather than the 3-5-2 that did so well at the Etihad Stadium.
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It means Brenden Aaronson and Anton Stach sit just behind main striker Calvert-Lewin, amid the ability to morph into a 3-4-3 or pull back into a 5-4-1.
In-form Ethan Ampadu starts alongside the industrious Ilia Gruev in midfield with Jayden Bogle and Gabriel Gudmundsson - who has recovered from the illness that forced him off at half-time against Aston Villa - at wing-back.
United's back three sees James Justin, Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk protect Karl Darlow, who will have a job to keep his second clean sheet of the season this evening.
Meanwhile Manchester City are without star striker Erling Haaland, who has not travelled with the squad to Elland Road.
XI (3-4-2-1): Darlow; Justin, Rodon, Struijk; Bogle, Ampadu, Gruev, Gudmundsson; Stach, Aaronson, Calvert-Lewin.
Subs: Perri, Bornauw, Bijol, Longstaff, Tanaka, James, Gnonto, Nmecha, Piroe.
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