Three Leeds United stars with a point to prove as Daniel Farke focus turns to fringes
With a host of Leeds United starters away on international duty Daniel Farke will have time to focus on his fringe players.
A dozen Leeds United first-team players have left Thorp Arch for international duty but the work won’t stop for Daniel Farke.
Leeds have an FA Cup quarter-final trip to West Ham in 11 days followed by a seven-game Premier League survival run-in. And so while those not on international duty might enjoy a small break, they’ll be back to work in the absence of their jet-setting teammates.
Naturally, a lot of the players on international duty are also those who have featured regularly for Leeds this season. Of the eight to start 20 Premier League games or more, only Jayden Bogle and Pascal Struijk will remain at Thorp Arch this week - but therein lies an opportunity for others.
With fewer players around and the immediacy of a weekend game not there, Farke will have the chance to work with those who have spent much of this season on the fringes. Below, the YEP takes a look at three who will be desperate to stake their claim for more minutes once club football returns.
Lucas Perri
It’s been a difficult debut campaign at Leeds for Perri, who after coming straight in as first-choice was dropped by Farke in January. The decision came after a couple of costly errors against Manchester United and Newcastle, with Karl Darlow providing a more steady base as he did last season in the Championship.
Darlow will almost certainly start at Old Trafford next month and in doing so, will pull level with Perri on 16 Premier League starts. He’s also likely to pull clear before May with Farke not one to switch between goalkeepers regularly, albeit the Brazilian could come in for West Ham in the FA Cup.
For Perri - the only Leeds goalkeeper not out of contract this summer - it’s as much about proving his ability to be first-choice next season than anything, with a lack of improvement leaving a decision to be made. He might also benefit from being the key point of focus for goalkeeper coaches ahead of West Ham.
Willy Gnonto
It’s been another season of frustration for Gnonto, who despite his undoubted quality has struggled for a place in Farke’s first-team thinking, starting just four Premier League games. He’s behind Noah Okafor and Brenden Aaronson in the winger pecking order while against Brentford last weekend, Daniel James was preferred off the bench.
But with Leeds lacking that final-third quality in recent weeks - they haven’t scored in four Premier League games - Gnonto will back himself to unlock those deeper-lying defences. And there are a few still to face, including the likes of Burnley and Wolves who will have seen Sunderland's recent Elland Road win as their blueprint.
There is an added motivation for Gnonto, who was once again left out of the Italy squad for an international break in which they could secure a World Cup spot. The winger will be desperate to make enough of an impact at Leeds that he can earn a recall and potentially head to this summer’s tournament.
Facundo Buonanotte
On the evidence so far, Buonanotte’s January loan from Brighton has not worked. He arrived having barely featured for Chelsea in the first-half of the season and while Farke warned against expecting the Argentinian to come straight in and ‘cut the league into pieces’, no one envisaged such a peripheral role.
Buonanotte has played 26 minutes of Premier League football and has not even been in a top-flight matchday squad since his difficult 45 minute FA Cup appearance at Birmingham City. Match sharpness is obviously an issue and with survival on the line, Farke simply cannot afford to carry anyone along for the ride.
But he and the fitness staff now have two uninterrupted weeks to work with Buonanotte before an FA Cup game that could offer a chance to relaunch his loan spell. Leeds must have expected a slow start, given his lack of football at Chelsea, but brought him in for a reason - perhaps he can unlock those deep-lying defences between now and May.