Leeds United are back in action for the first time in two weeks this afternoon as they travel to Turf Moor to take on fellow newly-promoted side Burnley.
This is the club’s first meeting with one of the other two teams that came up with them from the Championship, and it is a chance to show that they have adapted better to the top-flight.
Daniel Farke’s side have twice as many points as Burnley, with eight points on the board, after seven matches in the division, which shows that the Whites have had a better start to the campaign.
Turf Moor is not an easy place to go to, though, as the Clarets have only lost once and conceded two goals in three home games in the Premier League this season.
25/26 Premier League
Leeds
Burnley
Points
8
4
Wins
2
1
xG
7.6
4.9
xGA
7.9
13.4
Goals conceded
11
15
xGD per 90
-0.04
-1.12
The statistics in the table above suggest that Leeds should, though, be the favourites to claim all three points this afternoon, as they have offered more offensively and defensively as a team in the top-flight than Burnley so far.
However, some of the injury issues that Farke is currently having to deal with at Thorp Arch may lessen his side’s chances of putting another win on the board.
The latest Leeds team and injury news
The Leeds head coach has confirmed that goalkeeper Lucas Perri is back in training, but he will not start against Burnley ahead of Karl Darlow because he has only just returned to action and needs one or two weeks to settle back in.
There was less positive news on the winger front. Farke said: “Willy Gnonto won’t be available for this game because his calf problems are sorted, but sadly, he had to use the international break for a little minor hernia surgery. So not a major thing, but he needs to do this.
“He’ll be just back in team training next week, so I expect him then to have him available, perhaps only for the next home game, but definitely not for this away trip.”
Farke added that Dan James has returned to training earlier than expected, but the Wales international will not be in the starting XI against Burnley.
The Leeds boss said: “He’s definitely not in contention for the starting line-up, but due to the fact that we have lots of load and also a few problems in training, or Okafor is also struggling a little bit with some adductor problems, he could be perhaps even in contention to be picked for the squad.”
Noah Okafor, who joined from AC Milan for £18m, “struggling” with an adductor problem is a cause for concern for Farke and Leeds, because he is the team’s top scorer with two goals in the Premier League this season.
Given that Gnonto is out and James is unavailable to start, it would be a blow for the £72.5k-per-week star to miss out on the match through injury, or if he is not fit enough to play from the start.
This means that Farke may have to get creative with his team selection due to the dearth of natural wingers available to him if Gnonto, James, and Okafor cannot start on the left flank.
One potential option for the German head coach to explore is the possibility of playing Gabriel Gudmundsson in a new role on the left wing, with James Justin coming into the side at left-back.
Why Leeds should unleash Gabriel Gudmundsson in a new role
All seven of the Sweden international’s appearances for Leeds in the Premier League this season have been at left-back, but he has played on the wing at previous clubs.
Per Transfermarkt, Gudmundsson has played 70 club matches as a left midfielder and 24 games as a left winger, scoring 12 goals and providing ten assists in those two positions combined. This shows that he is comfortable playing further forward as an attacking threat.
TEAMtalk editor James Marshment claimed that the Swedish star has been “up there with the best LBs in the PL so far this season”, but the concern over Okafor’s injury may force him to play higher up the pitch.
Gudmundsson could offer natural width down the left flank as a winger, with James Justin behind him, as he is a left-back who naturally wants to bomb forward and put crosses into the box.
In fact, his statistics in the Premier League so far this season for the West Yorkshire outfit suggest that he has attributes that could allow him to thrive in a more advanced position in the team.
25/26 Premier League
Gabriel Gudmundsson
Percentile rank vs FBs
xG
0.17
Top 29%
xA
0.38
Top 39%
Chances created
4
Top 36%
Successful crosses
5
Top 23%
Successful crosses
6
Top 16%
Touches
419
Top 18%
Touches in the opposition’s box
12
Top 18%
As you can see in the table above, Gudmundsson excels among full-backs in the top-flight in a host of attacking metrics, which suggests that he may be effective as a winger, getting more of the ball in the final third.
The left-footed star predominantly played as a full-back for Lille in Ligue 1 during the 2024/25 season, before his move to Leeds, but his goal in the clip below shows that he does have the potential to provide a threat in the box from a left wing position, arriving at the back post to score.
Therefore, playing the Sweden international in a new role could ease the possible Okafor blow that the Whites could be dealt if his adductor issue means that he cannot start against Burnley.
It would also provide summer signing Justin, who has made three appearances off the bench in the Premier League so far this season, with an opportunity to start at left-back and show Farke that he deserves more minutes on the pitch.
It is now down to the manager to get creative by unleashing Gudmundsson in a new role if he is without Okafor, James, and Gnonto from the start this afternoon.
