Leeds will be without Gabriel Gudmundsson through suspension but Daniel Farke otherwise has a fully fit squad to choose from
Isaac Johnson Leeds United reporter
05:00, 20 Mar 2026
Lukas Nmecha (foreground) could start but Gabriel Gudmundsson (background) is banned
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Lukas Nmecha (foreground) could start but Gabriel Gudmundsson (background) is banned(Image: Tiego Grenho/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The sending off of Gabriel Gudmundsson robbed Leeds United of the chance to see Lukas Nmecha and Dominic Calvert-Lewin play together for more than 45 minutes at Crystal Palace.
In a first half that was mainly about attrition and lumping the ball into the box, Leeds had gained the upper hand prior to the penalty miss and everything that followed afterwards. Brentford have scored eight goals from set-pieces, so five fewer than Leeds, but have also only conceded six, which is half of what United have shipped.
It will be interesting to see how the Bees cope inside the furnace of Elland Road with long balls pumped into the box, if that is to be the ploy again. If so, it is could be that Nmecha starts once more, with him and fellow countryman Anton Stach - fresh from his Germany call-up - playing off Calvert-Lewin in a 3-4-2-1 formation.
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At the other end, Gudmundsson’s suspension gives Daniel Farke a simpler selection task. James Justin is expected to move out to the left wing slot with Jayden Bogle coming back in on the right.
All of Joe Rodon, Jaka Bijol and Pascal Struijk played superbly in the second half when a man down. They will be picked once again in front of Karl Darlow, who is looking for his first back-to-back Premier League clean sheets for eight years.
Ethan Ampadu returned to his usual bustling self at Selhurst Park though might this time have a midfield partner in Sean Longstaff besides him. Brenden Aaronson has not dipped to his former frustrating levels but has lacked end product in recent weeks.
Longstaff would provide more central bulk and press the initiative with tackles on a midfield that can be got at. Noah Okafor is back fit after a month out with hamstring and hip injury problems but is very unlikely to start the game.
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Predicted XI: Darlow; Rodon, Bijol, Struijk; Bogle, Ampadu, Longstaff, Justin; Nmecha, Stach; Calvert-Lewin.