Daniel Farke explains unusual Leeds United line-up vs Chelsea as Dominic Calvert-Lewin absent
Six defenders were named in the Leeds United starting-XI vs Chelsea.
Daniel Farke wants his Leeds United side to be ‘rock solid’ after naming six defenders in his starting line-up vs Chelsea.
The Leeds boss opted for an unusual starting line-up on paper, with defensive options making up over half of his XI. Jaka Bijol returned from a hamstring injury to start, with Sebastiaan Bornauw also coming into the team and the injured Pascal Struijk out.
With Joe Rodon, James Justin, Gabriel Gudmundsson and Jayden Bogle all keeping their places, there was an air of unpredictability as to who would start where. And Farke was quizzed on the changes ahead of kick-off on Tuesday.
“Pascal Struijk, Dominic Calvert-Lewin sadly struggling with illness and Anton Stach, they are all key players for us,” Farke told TNT Sports. “They all miss out.
“A quick turnaround too so I have to rotate a little bit. For that, we also have from a tactical point of view, a few other necessities [compared to] a home game against Nottingham [Forest].
“For that, we try to find a good mix, a good balance of being rock solid and defending but also promising going forward.”
Another major talking point from the starting line-up was Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s absence. The striker, who reached double figures for Premier League goals against Nottingham Forest last weekend, was struggling with illness in the week and the YEP understands that is what has kept him out.
Calvert-Lewin was replaced in the starting line-up by Lukas Nmecha, who came in for his seventh Premier League start. The former Everton man has 11 days to rest up before Leeds head to Aston Villa on Saturday February 21, with rotation expected anyway for this weekend’s FA Cup fourth round trip to Birmingham City.
“He [Calvert-Lewin] is in red-hot form, it’s a pity he’s not available but another chance for Lukas Nmecha to shine,” the Leeds boss added. “He’s also delivered several goals, can add physicality to our game.
“We play slightly different with him but he’s also got a chance to surprise the opponent a little bit. I would have preferred to have Dominic available, no doubt about this, but right now it’s a chance for others to shine.”