Major Leeds United blow with star missing at Everton amid changes and big keeper decision

Whites boss Daniel Farke has named his Leeds United team for Monday night’s Premier League clash at Everton for which a star man is missing.

Farke revealed at his pre-match press conference that first choice left back star Gabi Gudmundsson had been forced to miss training on Thursday due to adductor problems which presented a question mark over his availability to face the Toffees.

Farke, though, whose men still had three more days to prepare for the contest at that point said he was hoping Gudmundsson would be fit but the Swede has failed to make the matchday squad.

With Gudmundsson out, Sebastiaan Bornauw comes into the team as one of two changes to the team, the other seeing Anton Stach make a quick return from injury to replace Noah Okafor who drops back to the bench.

Farke also sticks with his recent big goalkeeper decision as Karl Darlow starts his second consecutive league game between the sticks in place of former first choice Lucas Perri who is again benched.

Farke had revealed that Stach had returned to training during the week after missing last weekend’s hosting of Fulham due to an adductor strain.

With Stach out, Okafor came back into the side from the one that started the last league game at Newcastle to support Dominic Calvert-Lewin along with Brenden Aaronson in attack ahead of a two-man centre midfield of Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev.

Farke also dropped keeper Lucas Perri as Karl Darlow took his place between the sticks whilst Jayden Bogle returned from injury to replace Jaka Bijol who is himself now facing two to three weeks out with a hamstring injury.

Bogle resumed his position at right back, taking over from James Justin who moved to centre-back with Bijol out.

Dan James was also part integrated back into team training this week upon recovering from the hamstring tendon injury suffered in the 3-2 defeat at Manchester City at the end of November.

Farke, though, warned at Thursday’s pre-match press conference that it would take a bit of time before James was match ready and the winger is not part of the squad.

AFCON stars Idrissa Gueye and Iliman Ndiaye both come straight back into Everton’s team, the pair replacing the injured Jack Grealish and Merlin Rohl - the latter dropping to the bench.

In a triple boost, Jarrad Branthwaite, Carlos Alcaraz and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall all return from injuries to make the bench.

Everton: Pickford; Mykolenko, O'Brien, Tarkowski, Patterson; Garner, Gueye; Ndiaye, Armstrong, McNeil; Barry. Subs: Travers, Beto, Dibling, Dewsbury-Hall, Coleman, Alcaraz, Branthwaite, Aznou, Rohl.

Leeds United: Darlow; Bogle, Bornauw, Rodon, Struijk, Justin; Ampadu, Gruev, Stach; Aaronson, Calvert-Lewin. Subs: Perri, Byram, Longstaff, Tanaka, Buonanotte, Okafor, Gnonto, Nmecha, Piroe.