Daniel Farke has ruled out Leeds star Noah Okafor for the Man City game after injury news
Leeds United boss Daniel Farke will be named as the man of the match for their next Premier League game against Man City after the pre-match injury news.
Leeds will host City on Saturday evening in one of the most anticipated matches this weekend, a match that pits the team against the Premier League title favourites.
City arrive in West Yorkshire sitting second in the table with 56 points from 27 games, chasing Arsenal at the top and in the kind of form that makes them a nightmare for any team, let alone looking anxiously over their shoulder in the drop zone.
Leeds are in 15th place, six points behind the bottom three with 11 games to play.
The gap is uncomfortable, but not overly dangerous, enough to keep Farke’s side on their toes.
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Games like Saturday’s are exactly the kind that can swing a season in a different direction. The result they will play against City will send a message to the teams around it. On the other hand, a heavy defeat can destroy confidence at a critical time.
Farke’s men go into the game on the back of a three-game unbeaten run in the Premier League, including a 1-1 draw at Aston Villa last weekend.
Anton Stach pulled the strings in midfield, Dominic Calvert-Lewin provided the focus up front with 10 goals for the season, and Elland Road proved it can be a tough place to get to the big event.
City, however, have won their last five meetings with Leeds.
They also got past the Yorkshire side in November and have beaten Liverpool, Fulham, Salford and Newcastle twice in their last five outings.
Erling Haaland remains a constant threat, Rayan Cherki has added another creative element, and Pep Guardiola’s side have scored two or more goals on most of their away trips this season.
Leeds’ defense – which has conceded 46 goals in the league – will be sorely tested.
Farke, speaking before the game on Thursday, managed to give fans some welcome news about fitness – but came with a bite in the tail.
Gabriel Gudmundsson, who was forced off at half-time during Villa’s knock, was duly passed. The Swedish left-back is available for selection and should take his place in the squad at the weekend.
Leeds are without Noah Okafor for the Man City game after recovering from an injury
The blow concerns Noah Okafor.
The Swiss striker, who is on loan from AC Milan, will miss the City game as he continues to suffer from a hamstring injury.
“Noah is out and will miss this game,” the Leeds boss told the media.
“Everybody else is ready, they’re available, they’re training and they’re in good shape and they want to play.”
Okafor’s absence hurts.
He adds pace and direction from wide areas, the kind of weapon that can trouble the top line of defense.
Against a City side that aggressively push their full-backs forward and leave space behind, having that threat is essential.
Without him, Farke’s attacking options become less and less predictable.
Okafor, described as a ‘perfect fit’ for Leeds by Farke, will be sorely missed this weekend.
Still, Gudmundsson’s return gives the left-back a little more solidity, and Farke will feel quietly confident that his side are in good enough shape to put up a good fightback.
However, they will need to be of a very high standard.
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