Daniel Farke praises one Leeds United ‘colossus’ in selection hint ahead of Arsenal clash

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Leeds United boss Daniel Farke has hinted at the make-up of his back four for his side’s trip to Arsenal after praising one star man as a “colossus”.

Although a late penalty from Lukas Nmecha proved to be the difference between the two sides in Leeds’ win over Everton, Daniel Farke will be pleased with his side’s defensive solidity in a tight game.

In truth, Leeds rarely looked troubled against a rusty Toffees attack and the Leeds goal was rarely threatened as Lucas Perri enjoyed a quiet debut between the posts.

With off-season signing Jaka Bijol available to face Arsenal after suspension, Farke now has a decision to make over the make-up of his back four, with the Slovenian international in line to partner Joe Rodon at the back.

However, Bijol may be forced to wait for his debut after Farke praised Pascal Struijk for his impressive display in Leeds’ opening win.

Daniel Farke praises ‘colossus’ Pascal Struijk

Speaking in his weekly press conference ahead of the Arsenal game, the Leeds United manager was full of praise for the Dutch centre-back after a towering performance against the Toffees.

Describing Struijk as a “colossus”, Farke stated that Struijk has more than proved himself in the two years since he last featured in the Premier League.

The Leeds boss said: “I think he was outstanding, top performance, really like a colossus in the defence, won many, many headers.

“But Pascal was very good on the ball, good in the build-up, important, also aggressive in defending forward, [and showed] good leadership. He was an outstanding player for us in the last season and has proven his worth.”

“Of course, he’s a big leader also in the dressing room, but nowadays it’s not just up to one or two players, you need a core group who lead. Each and every player has to show responsibility, but of course, we have a good group of leaders.

“Some of them are sometimes not always playing or even always in the squad. I also think about our other defensive options, like Jaka Bijol or Sebastiaan Bornauw, who are top, top characters, although they were not involved, are so important in the dressing room.”

Struijk was imperious against Everton

Whilst Farke stopped short of confirming that Struijk will start against Arsenal, his words of praise hinted that Bijol will face a fight to earn his place in Leeds’ starting line-up.

The stats from Leeds’ win over Everton show just how important Struijk was to the victory, as he slotted in seamlessly alongside Joe Rodon.

According to the stats from FotMob, Struijk was nearly flawless in possession, completing 69 of his 70 attempted passes, a record from the opening weekend of the Premier League.

Struijk also played an important role defensively, with seven headed clearances and five recoveries as the Whites held Everton at bay.

There has been some speculation that Struijk could leave Leeds this summer, with Villarreal linked with a move to sign him. However, on the evidence of his performance against Everton, Struijk is far too important to let go.