Breaking News:Leeds United are already two games away from nightmare three-fold scenario few minutes ago
Six Leeds United players have question marks hanging over their availability as they head to Sunderland for Friday night’s Championship clash. Ethan Ampadu, Daniel James, Manor Solomon and Max Wober are definitely out, while Ilia Gruev is extremely doubtful pending a knee scan and Isaac Schmidt has the best chance of returning to the squad.
With a third game in six days to come and the doubts mounting, it has been a testing week for Daniel Farke. The international break will offer a chance to reset and allow the few players not travelling away with their countries a chance to rest aching limbs.
Aside from injuries, the great threat to player selection for Farke is suspension. Thankfully, there have been no red cards shown to his players yet, but the yellows continue to tick over.
The Whites are eighth in the disciplinary league table on 19 yellow cards, the same as Derby County and Luton Town. Portsmouth and Preston North End, for context, have the most with 26 and Middlesbrough have had the fewest at just 10 cautions.
On Tuesday in Norfolk, Wilfried Gnonto and Jayden Bogle joined Joe Rodon on three yellows. They are already walking something of a tightrope. They will be banned for one match if they, individually, pick up another two yellows apiece before the Derby game on December 7.
After collecting three in eight games, they now have to negotiate another 11 outings without getting an additional two. Bogle at least has some cover in the form of Sam Byram, but, the squad is already thinning out behind Gnonto and Rodon.
In Rodon’s case, if that fifth booking comes before Max Wober is match-fit, Farke will be forced to play either Byram or James Debayo in central defence. Solomon and James will hopefully be not too far away from contention after the international break, but regardless of cover, Gnonto is becoming something of a talisman for this side in attack.
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