The Leeds United attacker has not started a Premier League game since November, and some supporters are wondering why
Isaac Johnson Leeds United reporter
05:00, 25 Mar 2026
Wilfried Gnonto in action
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Wilfried Gnonto in action(Image: Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Every supporter has their favourite players, and Wilfried Gnonto is near the top of the list for many Leeds United fans.
The much-loved Italian has made 138 appearances for Leeds despite only turning 22 in November. Gnonto has played 20 times so far this season but just four have been Premier League starts. All of them came before December.
Gnonto has begun each of the three FA Cup games since but since the turn of the year, he has been offered just 71 minutes of Premier League football. Why?
It’s a question Gnonto fans have been asking in recent weeks amid the team’s four-game goalless league run. In the last two matches, the winger has failed to come off the bench and some believe that he has not been given a fair crack of the whip.
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After all, a lack of game time leads to rustiness and yet Gnonto still managed to find the net against Derby County in the FA Cup third round. The attacker is a forward-thinking outlet, a risk-taker and a livewire.
Amid United’s brilliant December run, Gnonto earned back-to-back assists for Dominic Calvert-Lewin, winning the penalty that sparked the 3-3 revival against Liverpool before looping in a cross that led to the equaliser in the 1-1 draw at Brentford.
The key fact is that both of these came after coming off the bench. These bursts of performances leave spectators wondering why Farke does not use Gnonto more often yet it was clear how frustrated he was left when starting matches earlier in the season.
Gnonto started against Everton, Arsenal (always a tough test) and Newcastle United yet walked away with an xG of just 0.16, an expected assists tally of 0.06 and with none of his five shots on target.
Clearly, there is context behind Leeds finding their feet back in the top-flight, particularly away at title favourites Arsenal. But it is evident that Farke has since been wary about starting him again, rightly or wrongly.
Gnonto was one of the players in the squad who did have Premier League experience prior to this season, with 24 matches under his belt from the 2022/23 campaign, even if he was only a teenager.
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He was therefore among those that Farke, after the defeat at Fulham, said needed to “prove a point” again having been relegated from the last top-tier squad. After that loss at Craven Cottage, Gnonto suffered a calf injury and then needed minor surgery on a hernia, which ruled him out for seven games.
It was a game-and-a-half after his return that Farke famously adopted the back-three system, with wingers ditched for wing-backs. This has not been to Gnonto’s advantage.
Farke had started that poignant game at Manchester City with wingers, but a lapse between Gnonto and full debutant James Justin allowed the hosts to score inside 60 seconds. Then came the half-time switch that changed everything, with Gnonto taken off during the interval.
That match remains the last time Gnonto started a Premier League game. He was deployed at wing-back in the FA Cup win at Derby, scoring in the second half. But that was against Championship opposition and against Birmingham City in the next round he was ineffective.
Wilfried Gnonto of Leeds United runs with the ball under pressure from Jay Stansfield of Birmingham City
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Wilfried Gnonto of Leeds United runs with the ball under pressure from Jay Stansfield of Birmingham City(Image: Getty Images)
That is not his fault, he is just one of the fall guys of the current system. Daniel James has a similar issue in that while he has been used more often in recent weeks, he has not started a league match since returning from his hamstring injury.
Gnonto could play as a second striker like Brenden Aaronson sometimes does, but would offer less ground courage and he would also need to drop back into a more central area against the ball in a 5-4-1 block. As seen against Man City, his defensive attributes are not overly sturdy.
Gnonto is a player that excites and thrills but he is also hard to fit inside the current system. He is not a wing-back and there are shortfalls with putting him as the supporting striker. Yet at the same time, Leeds have lacked creativity in recent games.
Leeds have meanwhile kept two clean sheets in a row which should not be forgotten. But is sacrificing stability for more attacking risk a gamble that needs to happen?
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If Farke’s past trend is anything to go by, he probably thinks not. Leeds, as he pointed out post-Brentford, could still draw their way to safety. And anyway, United’s prolific winter patch came when Gnonto was still on the bench.
Where this leaves Gnonto is a question for the summer. He has two years left on his contract and is still only 22. It would be a shame to see him leave given his obvious talent - something which is plain for all fans to see.