SUNDAY’s FA cup quarter final between Leeds and West Ham has been seen as a ‘recovery’ race against time for the Hammers’ injured duo of Crysencio Summerville and Jean Clair Todibo. Despite assurances from a top source at the club, neither have been seen training with the West Ham squad and with five days to go, Irons’ supporters will be chewing their nails over the availability of both.
Daniel Farke, Leeds United’s manager, has his own worry according to theleedsexpress.com:
“Leeds United dealt major injury blow ahead of FA Cup clash with West Ham:
Switzerland named Noah Okafor in their squad for the first time since November 2024, but didn’t play either against Germany or on Tuesday night, against Norway.
The winger picked up a knock in the warm-up against Germany last week, and coach Murat Yakin decided against taking any risk and kept him as an unused substitute.
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He was not even in the squad in the 0-0 draw against Norway on Tuesday night, and .. the winger was sidelined due to an injury.”
Okafor has been pivotal in Farke’s Leeds side this season, with 24 starts and four goals.
Whether both managers will gamble with the fitness of their ‘borderline’ players in an FA Cup fixture when Premier League giants likely await the winners in any case is debatable.
With Man City or Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea the likely names going into the hat it might seem best to save Okafor – as West Ham will surely be tempted to do with Summerville – for the crucial Premier League run in that starts the weekend after.