Daniel Farke’s biggest selection headache when his whole Leeds United squad is fit certainly comes in attack.
Despite Leeds’ failure to add a number 10 in the summer, Farke quite comfortably has two players for each position in that front four, which will make picking a team difficult on occasions this season.
Mateo Joseph, Manor Solomon, Wilfried Gnonto and Brenden Aaronson has been his preferred attack in the last couple of matches, but that could quite easily change in the coming weeks.
Largie Ramazani, Joel Piroe, Patrick Bamford and Dan James (when fit) all cost a considerable amount of money and will be hoping to force their way into the starting XI as the season goes on.
Leeds spent a combined total of £49.1 million on that quartet which is an absolute embarrassment of riches at this level, leaving Farke with no excuse even when injuries do bite.
Nancy Froston says Wilfried Gnonto is Leeds’ attacking undroppable
And it may actually be this weekend that injuries do really bite for the first time, with Solomon potentially joining James on the sidelines.
Solomon has been nursing a back injury all week and so a spot could open up in the starting XI for one of Piroe or Ramazani, with the latter very much the more like for like.
However, there have actually been calls for Gnonto to be dropped by some sections of the fanbase, which was a topic discussed on the One Leeds YouTube channel.
That suggestion was put forward to Athletic journalist Nancy Froston who emphatically refuted them calls by claiming Gnonto would be the first attacker on her team sheet every week.
She said: “No for me, it’s Gnonto and two others. Any game, I think he is the best player Leeds have got. He already has that quality but has the potential to be the main man this season.
“I think between him and Mateo Joseph but I kind of would have liked Joseph maybe to have scored another one by this point to assert he’s got that level in him this season.
“I think this is Gnonto’s moment really to step up and make his claim as Leeds’ main man, even if he doesn’t, I still think he’s the best technician and most talented player in the squad. I wouldn’t be dropping him at all.”
Farke needs to move Gnonto back to the left
Based on the evidence seen so far this season, it is hard to disagree with Froston’s claim, but only when is starting on the left.
Gnonto started each of the opening three matches there and produced a performance against Sheffield Wednesday that left Owls boss Danny Rohl blown away.
Since then, however, Gnonto has been shifted over to the right to accommodate Solomon, where he has seen considerably less blow, and therefore seen his impact dwindle.
Solomon has looked impressive in his two outings so far but Gnonto did nothing to warrant being shifted over to the right, and should therefore be back on the other flank at Cardiff.
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