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Leeds United are set to be without a whole host of players for the clash at Elland Road
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West Ham United have been handed a timely fitness boost ahead of their clash with Leeds United. The Hammers are still searching for their first win under new boss Nuno Espirito Santo, after the former Nottingham Forest head coach took over the reins from Graham Potter. A draw with Everton began his tenure, before back-to-back losses against Arsenal and Brentford have since followed, with a huge clash against the Whites to come on Friday.
Despite making a somewhat steady start to the season, Leeds are without a win in their last three Premier League outings. A respectable 2-2 draw with Bournemouth preceded losses to both Tottenham and Burnley, and now manager Farke is set to deal with an additional headache when it comes to his latest team selection.
As relayed by Farke in his pre-match press conference previewing Friday's game, the Whites will be without forwards Noah Okafor and Willy Gnonto, as the pair continue to step up their respective returns from injury. "We have to take some late decisions, " began the Leeds boss. "Okafor and Gnonto making good progress, but not able to complete team training this week. More realistic for Noah to be involved. Some illness in the group. [Ethan] Ampadu and [Pascal] Struijk missed team training. " The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week. Defenders Ampadu and Struijk missing out will cause further problems for Leeds, and it is likely that 26-year-old summer signing Jaka Bijol is set for a Premier League debut. Having so far only played in the EFL Cup, Bijol will be keen to make an impression if called upon, having arrived from Udinese in the summer. He has so far been unable to disrupt the longstanding partnership of Joe Rodon and Struijk.
In Four Four Two's view, West Ham are unlikely to get a better chance at success than on Friday evening, with Leeds' injury list something of a real worry for Farke. Predicted Leeds line-up: Darlow, Bogle, Rodon, Bijol, Gudmundsson; Longstaff, Gruev, Stach; Harrison, Aaronson, Calvert-Lewin. Matthew Holt writes freelance for Four Four Two, amongst others, and boasts previous experience at GOAL and SPORTBible. He now works with us alongside his time at Manchester United and Reach PLC, aiding with online content for the website. Career highs include working at the FA Cup final, as well as scoring at Old Trafford in front of the Stretford End. A long-term sufferer of his beloved Scunthorpe United, he is often seen on the padel court, as well as occasionally as a six-a-side call-up. You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
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