Daniel Farke explains why Anton Stach’s Leeds United form has dipped, he has an injury

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Only a few games ago, a large portion of Leeds United’s side were in good form. But two losses in a row, including a defeat to rivals Burnley, have now changed that perception.

Daniel Farke has watched his side dominate Tottenham at Elland Road, boasting the best chances but losing 2-1 because of two deflected goals. At Burnley, it was a largely similar story for Farke’s side.

All the chances, all the possession, but no goals and another defeat. Leeds suffered a 2-0 loss to Scott Parker’s side despite having 19 attempts at goal, hitting the post, and boasting 69% possession.

Brenden Aaronson showed signs of life, Pascal Struijk was an obvious starter and Karl Darlow earned plaudits for his performances. Now all three are in danger of being dropped, but there are others, too.

• READ MORE: West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo explains why Leeds will be a “tough” test

Daniel Farke gives reason for Anton Stach’s drop in form

Bought for £19.9m from Hoffenheim in the summer, two-time Germany international Anton Stach was seen as a real coup for Leeds. Pre-season form confirmed that, including his goal against AC Milan.

His performance against Everton, his free-kick against Wolves and his showing against Bournemouth were all further signs that Leeds have signed a good player in Stach. But the last two outings, not so much.

Farke was asked about Stach’s drop in form, noticeably against Burnley when Stach allowed Loum Tchaouna to score. Bryn Law said he had a broken finger, and now Farke says his ribs are an issue.

“Overall, he has delivered really good performances. Top signing for us, crucial, a key player. I would agree that the last two games weren’t at the top level. He has been playing with a broken finger.

“And a problem with his body, sometimes when you have this, you don’t play with freedom. I can tell this about him, not at the top level like he was before,” Farke said, when discussing Stach’s drop in form.

“If we can get rid of these physical problems with his finger, his ribs, then he will start delivering top performances again. This week, he has had some time to recover. I hope he can return to his early form.”

Anton Stach remains Leeds’ second-best player overall

While his form might have dipped, Farke remains confident that Stach is a key player for Leeds and the stats say as much. The lofty midfielder is still rated as the club’s second-best player, according to stats.

FotMob say that Stach has earned a rating of over 7 so far for his overall output, even if his form has dropped in the last couple of weeks. There could be more pressure on him because of Ao Tanaka.

Of all the Leeds players struggling to start at the moment, Tanaka is probably the best alongside Jaka Bijol. That quality behind Stach means there is increased pressure on the big German to perform.