Leeds United fans are patiently waiting to see summer signing Noah Okafor make his full Premier League debut, which could happen against Fulham this weekend.
Noah Okafor was something of a marquee signing for Leeds United this summer. In what proved to be their last summer signing, Leeds paid £18million to sign Okafor from AC Milan, and he’s since featured twice.
As Leeds United lost 5-0 against Arsenal, Okafor came off the bench to make his debut, then making his first start in the Carabao Cup defeat against Sheffield Wednesday in the next game.
Next up, Leeds United take on Fulham at Craven Cottage.
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Noah Okafor explains where he’ll play at Leeds United
Okafor is a winger, and speaking in an interview with The Athletic, he says that Daniel Farke has guaranteed him minutes in the left wing position. The Athletic’s report though indicates that Farke views Okafor as a potential option up front after Leeds United failed to sign any new players on deadline day, specifically attackers.
“He said he sees me clearly as a left-winger,” Okafor said of Farke. “That’s my position. There, I’m the best (version of myself). When I play sometimes there, sometimes striker or the other side, I don’t get the focus (I want) on my position. That’s something that makes me really comfortable.”
Leeds United handed double striker blow ahead of Fulham
As if striker options weren’t already thin on the ground for Leeds, Farke could be without two of his three first-team options on Saturday in Joel Piroe and Lukas Nmecha.
Speaking to the press on Thursday, Farke shared the latest Leeds United injury news, revealing that Piroe and Nmecha both have knocks and could both miss out on Saturday, saying: “Some question marks about Lukas Nmecha and Joel Piroe.
“Nmecha got a hit on foot, missed training yesterday. Piroe has a big bruise on his calf. We have to wait and see, and make a decision in 48 hours.”
Okafor then could be pushed up front already, or used as the striker option from the bench with Dominic Calvert-Lewin now looking likely to lead the Leeds United attack on Saturday.
It’s not his preferred position, as he says, but Leeds’ failure to sign more attackers means Okafor may now be forced to be used as a striker option, after Leeds suffered that unfortunate double injury blow to Piroe and Nmecha.
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