Leeds United loan signing Manor Solomon is set to face one of international football’s powerhouses as Israel face Kevin de Bruyne’s Belgium.
Solomon and the rest of his Israeli teammates face the first of a number of tricky Nations League fixtures with France and Italy also in Group A2 alongside their opponents this evening.
This is the first time Solomon has been able to represent his country in almost exactly a year having spent so long on the sidelines through injury.
In fact, his full debut for Leeds last weekend was his first competitive appearance since coming off the bench for Tottenham in a 2-1 win over Liverpool in September 2023.
Solomon was hugely impressive in his first outing for the Whites as his cross helped finally unlock the Hull City defence for Mateo Joseph to steer home.
Man City star De Bruyne hails new Leeds signing Solomon
Despite Saturday being his first appearance for Leeds, Neil Redfearn has already hailed Solomon’s ability as beyond that of the Championship.
Given his pedigree and what he showed against the Tigers, it is hard to disagree with that statement, though he is set to put that to the test tonight.
Solomon is undoubtedly the stand-out name of the modern day Israel squad and so much of the onus will be on him tonight if they are to escape with a result against Belgium.
Alongside De Bruyne, Belgium have plenty of Premier League quality in their ranks, including Aston Villa duo Amadou Onana and Youri Tielemans, as well as Manchester City’s Jeremy Doku.
In his pre-match press conference, De Bruyne was asked about what he knows of the Israel squad and mentioned Solomon immediately after coming up against him in the Premier League.
De Bruyne feels Leeds’ new loan addition is an ‘excellent player’ and has all the ‘qualities’ of someone who belongs at the top level of football.
Via One, he said: “I know Manor Solomon from the Premier League. From Fulham, Tottenham, and now he has moved to Leeds. He has the qualities to play at this level. He is an excellent player.”
Leeds will be praying Solomon stays fit
Despite the fact he is still easing his way back to fitness, it is highly likely Solomon will start both of Israel’s matches in the next few days.
This is simply due to how important he is to his country, and clearly De Bruyne and the rest of his Belgian teammates recognise he is the dangerman.
Daniel Farke will be crossing all of his fingers that Solomon is able to stay fit ahead of next weekend’s clash against Burnley, as it is not yet certain his body is ready for such an intense schedule.
Hopefully Israel manager Ran Ben Simon is able to recognise that he needs to be managed in order to avoid the risk of him getting injured again.
Receive a digest of our best Leeds content each week direct to your mailbox
