Daniel Farke has named the same starting line-up for Leeds United’s last four league games, with the same side lining up away at Fulham taking to the field to host Tottenham on Saturday.
Farke has been forced to pick Karl Darlow, and while the Wales no.1 has been largely impressive, there will need to be a decision when Leeds go to Burnley. Lucas Perri will be fit again to face Scott Parker’s side.
Brenden Aaronson has been one of the surprises of the season, impressing more with every minute he plays for Leeds, having started the last four games. He was crucial in Noah Okafor’s goal on Saturday.
But ultimately, the other nine players pick themselves at the moment. The midfield is really working for Leeds at the moment, with Ethan Ampadu sitting behind new signings Sean Longstaff and Anton Stach.
Ao Tanaka admits he ‘needs to do more’ to start for Leeds
The Japan midfielder started Leeds’ first two games of the season, sparkling in the 1-0 win over Everton but struggling – as every Leeds player did – against Arsenal. Then, he picked up an injury to his MCL.
Fit again, Tanaka has been benched for the last four games. It was Tanaka’s mistake to concede a late free-kick against Bournemouth, which they scored from to equalise. Tanaka has been speaking in Japan.
Currently on international duty, Tanaka admits he is “disappointed” with his game time. But Tanaka also admitted that he knows he “needs to do more” if he wants to start in Farke’s midfield at the moment.
“When I watch the opposing teams and players play, I feel like I need to do more. It’s a difficult league to keep doing that for 38 games. There will be players who won’t be able to perform as well as they used to.
“So in that sense, the Premier League is a tough league. Even with the difficulty of players being unable to play due to injury, I feel once again that it is the best league in the world,” Tanaka told GOAL in Japan.
Ao Tanaka’s lack of game time is hardly Leeds players’ fault
Tanaka can feel hard done by, taking his form out of the equation. Recalled by Japan and one of nine on international duty this month, the midfielder has done well when on the pitch, despite Bournemouth.
Ultimately, injury came at a bad time for Tanaka. It has allowed Longstaff and Stach to combine, and now Longstaff is undroppable after two man-of-the-match performances in his five starts for The Whites.
Stach has been up and down, but with the way Leeds want to play, Stach and Longstaff are key. Leeds have concerns with Tanaka’s physicality, Graham Smyth has echoed this, and that is why he’s not playing.
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