Daniel Farke said he would need to find 'solutions' to cover from Anton Stach
Isaac Johnson Leeds United reporter
05:00, 16 Apr 2026
Daniel Farke said he would need to find 'solutions'
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Ao Tanaka put in a wonderful performance during Monday's win vs Manchester United(Image: Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Former Premier League attacking midfielder and manager Gus Poyet believes Leeds United have shown they have enough squad depth to be able to cope without Anton Stach for the rest of April.
Stach suffered an ankle ligament injury in the FA Cup quarter-final win over West Ham United and Daniel Farke admitted he would need to “find solutions” to fill the hole left by the German.
After a goal amid a productive showing at West Ham, Ao Tanaka was played in the midfield slot left by Stach against Manchester United on Monday and starred as the Whites earned their first league win at Old Trafford for 45 years.
He was taken off in the second half after staying down upon stretching and twisting to complete a pass, and was later seen hobbling at full-time. While Leeds fans await an update on his condition, they will sit in the joy of being six points clear of the Premier League drop zone with six games left to play.
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Poyet, who faced Leeds 10 times as a player and seven times as a manager, believes Leeds have shown enough to indicate they will be fine without Stach, who looks set to miss the upcoming games against Wolves, Bournemouth and Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final.
“I think Leeds have enough cover to suffer the loss of Anton Stach,” he told Leeds Live, ahead of Monday’s match. “It’s a squad game and I believe Leeds have done well this season because the squad are united.
“So with Stach now injured, this gives the chance for one of the other members of the squad to come and take their chance at such a crucial time of the season.
Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United shoots while under pressure from Ao Tanaka of Leeds United
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Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United shoots while under pressure from Ao Tanaka of Leeds United(Image: Getty Images)
“The players who haven’t maybe played so many minutes, can come into the team with plenty of energy to help the team to achieve their objective to stay in the Premier League. So, there is plenty of quality to come into the team I feel.”
A win against bottom club Wolves on Saturday would take Leeds past their initial points aim of 38 and on the brink of 40. Daniel Farke expects a ‘very difficult’ game given the expectation of three points plus Wolves’ recent form.
But Leeds still have the other three of the bottom four clubs to play this season too, and Poyet reckons the Whites will be able to get over the line.
However, he encouraged the team to keep providing 11-goal top scorer Dominic Calvert-Lewin with chances, amid no Premier League goal in seven weeks. Before Monday, United had failed to score in four top-flight matches.
“It’s continuing the very good work ethic they have had up until now,” Poyet said in regards to securing Premier League safety. “Keep working hard as a team, and defending well, but also creating chances for Calvert-Lewin and others to score.
"They will have to score more to stay up as you are facing teams who will score, so if you don’t, then problems can occur. But I have seen enough to suggest Leeds can and will stay up.”
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Gus Poyet speaking with Leeds Live via Gambling.com who help people in the UK compare online casino sites.