Leeds United and Daniel Farke would have liked to have done more business in the summer. But the majority of the 10 signings they have made have been good – aside from Sebastiaan Bornauw.
Lucas Perri, Jaka Bijol, Gabriel Gudmundsson, Sean Longstaff, Noah Okafor and Dominic Calvert-Lewin will all be expected to start on Saturday, while Anton Stach has started all but the win over West Ham, so far.
If Gudmundsson is unfit, James Justin will come in after an underrated cameo against West Ham. Lukas Nmecha continues to provide a threat from the bench, but for Bornauw, the defender has had it tough.
Bought for £5m from Wolfsburg, Bornauw is a player Daniel Farke has wanted since his Norwich days. But days after signing, he picked up an injury in pre-season and that has summed up his time at Leeds so far.
Belgian media describe Bornauw’s move as a ‘nightmare’
This is not a player who will be happy to watch from the sidelines. This player boasts extensive knowledge and experience in Europe’s top divisions, having earned four caps for Belgium after his stint at Wolfsburg.
Bornauw might have known he wouldn’t start games, but to have gone until now without a single minute in the Premier League will be below his expectations. His only outing, the loss to Sheffield Wednesday.
| Gameweek/Opponent | Result | Bornauw inclusion |
| 1. Everton | 1-0 Win | Sub – not used |
| 2. Arsenal | 5-0 Loss | Sub – not used |
| 3. Newcastle | 0-0 Draw | Sub – not used |
| 4. Fulham | 1-0 Loss | Not picked in squad |
| 5. Wolves | 3-1 Win | Not picked in squad |
| 6. Bournemouth | 2-2 Draw | Not picked in squad |
| 7. Tottenham | 2-1 Loss | Sub – not used |
| 8. Burnley | 2-0 Loss | Sub – not used |
| 9. West Ham | 2-1 Win | Not picked in squad |
Belgian outlet RTBF give their take on Bornauw’s stint at Elland Road, where he is effectively the fourth choice for a position that Farke avoids rotating. RTBF say his Leeds spell has been a “nightmare” so far.
The piece, entitled ‘adventure to nightmare’, details how Bornauw has not even made the Premier League matchday squad in four of Leeds’ nine games, including last time out, the 2-1 win over West Ham United.
“Since his arrival, Sebastiaan Bornauw has had no say in the matter at Leeds United. The undisputed fourth choice for his manager, the short-lived Red Devil has yet to play a single Premier League match.”
Sebastiaan Bornauw’s next realistic outing for Leeds United
With Bijol now entering the fray and Struijk relegated to third choice, Bornauw remains cemented as cover for the back-up option. The centre-back’s chances of Premier League game time are almost nil.
That means, Bornauw’s next possible outing for Leeds might not actually be until the new year, when Leeds enter The FA Cup at the third round. Even if there is an injury in defence, Bornauw won’t start.
Realistically, Bornauw will have to wait until the third round of The FA Cup and hope that Leeds can win against whoever they face to play a third time. It feels unlikely Bornauw will play in the Premier League.
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