Tarik Muharemovic key to Leeds victory as immovable object meets Newcastle's unstoppable force
Tarik Muharemovic will undoubtedly have one of his toughest tests as Leeds United face Newcastle United on Monday.
Elland Road will welcome Matthias Jaissle's team on 14 September as the Whites look to get back to winning ways.
Xabi Alonso got the better of Daniel Farke in the third round of the Carabao Cup, but fans in LS11 will want to see their team immediately bounce back.
Muharemovic has been key since arriving at Elland Road in the summer transfer window and he will certainly be more important than ever against Newcastle.
The Peacocks are currently ninth in the Premier League after an unbeaten start and will hope to preserve that record.
Farke has plenty of game-changers in his team, but it will be the Bosnia and Herzegovina defender who may be the most influential piece of the puzzle to beat the Magpies.
Why Tarik Muharemovic more important than ever vs Newcastle United
Muharemovic has been one of Leeds' best players this season, justifying the outlay they made on him in the summer transfer window.
The 23-year-old defender has recorded an average rating of 7.07 in the Premier League in three matches, averaging two interceptions, one tackle, and 8.3 clearances per game, as per Sofascore.
Muharemovic has also surprisingly completed 100 per cent of his dribbles, averaging one per game.
The Bosnia and Herzegovina centre-back has won 69 per cent of his ground duels, which will surely come in handy at Elland Road against Anthony Elanga.
What difference Anthony Elanga can make vs Leeds United
Elanga has found his feet at Newcastle after an underwhelming debut season.
In the winger's first three Premier League appearances of the new campaign, he has recorded a combined rating of 7.4 and a top speed of 34.9 kilometres per hour, as per Sofascore.
Speaking about the attacker last year, former manager Eddie Howe said, "He is an exciting talent with attributes that make him a unique attacking threat."
Elanga has scored two goals and averaged one shot on target, 1.3 key passes and 0.7 successful dribbles per game.
To give the West Yorkshire outfit the best chance of getting three points, Farke will certainly need to find a way to keep Newcastle's right-winger quiet, and that's where Muharemovic comes in.