Leeds United go into their meeting with Newcastle United on the back of a spirited display against Chelsea, and Daniel Farke will be hoping his side can carry that momentum into another tough test at Elland Road.
The manager was happy with his side’s performance in midweek despite crashing out of the League Cup: “It was a crazy game. It happens sometimes, especially in the early round of the cup when there are many changes. Football games sometimes develop in this way and overall there were very tight statistics.”
On the team news front, he confirmed that Joe Rodon remains out but added there are “no new injury concerns” and that “it seems like everyone else is available” for the visit of Newcastle on Monday.
The Leeds United boss also sounded excited about the prospect of unleashing new signing Jean-Mattéo Bahoya and a fully fit Noah Okafor as options going forward.
“There’s more to come from him and I’m looking forward to having him at 100 per cent,” he said about the Swiss star, explaining a disrupted pre-season has affected his match fitness.
On Bahoya, he admitted that while the Eintracht Frankfurt loanee has “unbelievable skill and pace”, he still needs to be prepared “physically” for the Premier League level.
However, there’s also growing subplot bubbling away in the manager’s attacking ranks involving Lukas Nmecha.
Leeds tell Nmecha he won’t be allowed to run down contract
Pete O’Rourke has told Football Insider that the German striker could look to leave Leeds once his current two-year deal expires next summer, if he isn’t getting the game time he wants.
“I think a lot of it will come down to the player himself. He knows that Calvert-Lewin is the first-choice striker in Daniel Farke’s plans, so it depends on whether Nmecha is happy and content to be playing back up to Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
“If he’s not, and he wants to be playing more regularly, then he might seek a move away from Elland Road.”
However, Football FanCast sources understand Leeds United have no intention of letting the situation drift into a free transfer. The Whites have informed Nmecha that should he fail to commit to fresh terms, they are instead prepared to cash in on him in January, using the funds to bring in a replacement in the same window rather than risk losing him for nothing next summer.
It’s a sensible stance from Leeds’ perspective. Letting a contract run down to its final six months with no resolution in sight would leave them with little leverage, and given Nmecha’s current role as understudy to Calvert-Lewin, there’s a strong argument that a mid-season sale followed by a fresh face coming in could actually strengthen Farke’s options up front rather than weaken them.
For now, though, the immediate priority is Newcastle. Farke will have a near-full squad to choose from, and while the Nmecha situation is one that will likely rumble on in the background over the coming months, the 27 year-old hasn’t let it affect his performances when he has been afforded opportunities, registering assists against Chelsea and Brentford.
