Why Daniel Farke has unpopular Brenden Aaronson call in Leeds United vs Man Utd
Brenden Aaronson could be Leeds United's secret weapon against Manchester United.
The 25-year-old attacking midfielder seems to have fallen down the pecking order under Daniel Farke this season.
Last term saw the American international make 42 appearances in all competitions.
He featured in all but one of the Whites' 38 Premier League games, starting 30 of them and playing just shy of 2,500 top-flight minutes.
Fast-forward to the present, and he's only made two Premier League starts ahead of Leeds' clash with Man United on Sunday.
But the recent history books detailing this fixture show why Farke may need to make that three at Elland Road this weekend.
What would Man United fear Brenden Aaronson XI inclusion?
Nerves will be building both in Leeds and Manchester ahead of Sunday's huge game.
It's a fixture that neither set of supporters want to see their team lose, with heroes being born out of the players who shine in it.
Aaronson has certainly shone bright for Leeds in their recent clashes with the Red Devils.
Indeed, he's provided three goal contributions in the Whites' last three meetings with Man United.
He scored in the 1-1 pre-season draw back in August and provided the assist for Noah Okafor and Leeds' second in the 2-1 win at Old Trafford in April.
Prior to that, Aaronson also netted in the 1-1 draw at Elland Road in January, meaning he's truly been a thorn in United's side as of late.
The question is, then, who might have to drop out of the starting XI in order to make way for Aaronson, and what are the chances of that happening?
So long as they're fit, Ethan Ampadu and Anton Stach are effectively undroppable, which the same can't yet be said for the Japanese international.
He will, however, have taken a significant step towards achieving that status with his performance at the Emirates.
The 28-year-old was excellent for the 71 minutes he was on the pitch, pressing high, hunting possession and making Arsenal's elite midfield look fairly ordinary.
If he'd not put in this kind of display, then Farke's decision pertaining to Aaronson would've been far easier, as Tanaka has been up and down of late.
But with this almighty Gunners display fresh in the mind of the Leeds boss, finding a way in the XI for Aaronson is very tough even if he wants to.
Given his recent record against the Red Devils, however, Farke may see Aaronson as a gamble he can't afford not to take.