Willy Gnonto 'a victim of his own doing' after what has happened at Leeds United

Willy Gnonto has struggled to stake a claim for his place in the starting 11 at Leeds since the turn of the year.

Leeds United moved one step closer to promotion with their win against Middlesbrough last time out, though with five games to go, the race is far from over.

The Whites sit two points above Sheffield United in third, though the fact that the Blades still have Burnley to play should put them in good stead.

However, throughout their recent push for a Premier League return, Gnonto has had to wait patiently for his time to shine, with his own success potentially the reason behind that.

Daniel Farke must utilise Gnonto more

Brenden Aaronson has been the go-to man for Daniel Farke this season, with Gnonto having to settle for a spot on the bench fairly often.

The Italian may be in line to start in the absence of Dan James this weekend, but Paul Robinson thinks the impact he has off the bench is the reason why Farke opts against starting him.

Speaking to MOT Leeds News, he said: "He's got to find a way to put Willy Gnonto in that side, and I think that the fact that he's had such an impact when coming off the bench has been to his detriment.

"Farke knows that he's got that player, that if that situation, like against Swansea, arrives and they need somebody to come off the bench with a spark, he knows that he's got that in Willy Gnonto."

Leeds are edging closer to a Premier League return

With a clash against Preston approaching, Leeds need to keep winning games until their promotion is sealed.

Just five games remain, and the slightest slip-up could prove to be detrimental to not only their season, but also to the future of Farke, who will undoubtedly face the sack if Leeds somehow fail to go up.

Gnonto will have a big role to play in that success, though Farke simply must give him the chance to showcase his true ability.