Credit: Imago

Josh Edwards

Thu 23 April 2026 18:10, UK

Daniel Farke must see how Leeds United can cope without Dominic Calvert-Lewin now that survival is all but achieved.

Until it is mathematically impossible for Leeds to be relegated, Farke will not rest easy, though with a nine-point cushion on Tottenham, they’re as close to survival as they could possibly hope to be.

Up next for the Whites is an FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea, and given what is at stake, Leeds cannot afford to take any risks.

However, there is certainly set to be room for manoeuvrability in the Premier League for the final five games of the season.

Calvert-Lewin struggled again against Bournemouth on Wednesday night, and he could be one of those sacrificed in the top flight.

Leeds must test the waters without Dominic Calvert-Lewin

A striker’s job is to score goals, and with 11 this season, Calvert-Lewin has certainly fulfilled that responsibility.

However, a penalty goal against Wolves aside, his form as of late has been poor to say the least, and it was the same against the Cherries.

Calvert-Lewin lost 11 of his 17 duels in the game, conceded three fouls, and managed to complete just 52 per cent of his attempted passes.

The morale of the story is that when he is not scoring goals, he offers very little in the final third.

And with safety almost confirmed, Farke has the chance to experiment up top, with the view of potentially changing their way of playing next season, which could include Wilfried Gnonto.

Wilfried Gnonto deserves final Premier League chance

For one reason or another, Gnonto has barely been afforded a sniff for Leeds this season, with an overwhelming majority of his minutes having arrived in the FA Cup.

Farke now has the chance to change that in the Premier League, and it may be worth a shot to see how he can fare when leading the line.

It would give the Whites a good idea as to how they can play without a target man-style striker, which may open the door for some interesting decisions in the summer transfer window.

At this stage of the season, Leeds have nothing to lose, but they have it all to gain.