Leeds United boss Daniel Farke will hold his pre-Manchester United press conference this afternoon.
Leeds United return to Premier League action on Monday and ahead of their trip to Manchester United, Daniel Farke will speak with the press today.
His side are fresh off the back of booking a trip to Wembley following Sunday’s dramatic FA Cup quarter-final penalty-shootout victory at West Ham. Leeds were 2-0 up going into added-time of normal time but conceded twice late on before eventually progressing 4-2 from the spot.
Victory secured a semi-final meeting with Chelsea later this month but might have come at a cost. The Whites lost Anton Stach to a nasty-looking injury midway through the first-half after he was cleaned out by West Ham defender Max Kilman, rolling his ankle in the process.
Stach was spotted wearing a protective boot and using crutches after full-time, with Farke suggesting the German had suffered an ankle ligament injury. Further assessment will have taken place once the swelling reduced and a more detailed update, including a possible recovery timeline, can be expected today.
Joe Rodon also limped off with an ankle injury during the second half of Sunday’s cup, landing awkwardly after jumping for an aerial ball and being replaced by Sebastiaan Bornauw. Farke sounded more optimistic about the Welshman than Stach and will again provide more clarity this afternoon.
Noah Okafor’s removal at the London Stadium was thought to be down to cramps, rather than a re-injury, and barring any unexpected issues he should be okay come Monday. Farke will also provide an update on any other fitness doubts, including Gabriel Gudmundsson who was not risked at West Ham.
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On a more positive note, Farke could be quizzed on the impact fringe players like Ao Tanaka and Willy Gnonto made at West Ham. The former in particular was brilliant and should Stach face a spell on the sidelines, a midfield slot could open up for the Japan international for a huge period.
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Lucas Perri also made a decisive impact, pulling off a string of fine saves both during open play and the shootout. It will be a huge boost to his confidence following a difficult debut campaign in West Yorkshire, which will please Farke no doubt.
He will also hope the momentum and confidence from an FA Cup win can carry through to the Premier League, where Leeds haven’t won for two months. They have carved out a couple of decent draws in recent weeks, however, but to pull clear of trouble they need to claim a couple of victories.
Farke will likely be pressed on how he plans to get those wins, starting with arguably the most difficult of all seven remaining games at in-form Manchester United. Michael Carrick’s side are right in the mix for Champions League football and have had a full three weeks off since their last game at Bournemouth before the international break.
Daniel Farke is due to speak with the media at 3.15pm this afternoon. Stay tuned for live updates...
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