Leeds United: ‘Strange’ Willy Gnonto update emerges from player source after latest Javi Gracia snub vs Leicester amid injury claim
Willy Gnonto is 100% fit and “available full strength” for every Leeds United game currently despite Javi Gracia not using him, a source has told LUFCFANZONE.
The former FC Zurich fell out of favour once the new manager came in to replace Jesse Marsch on 21 February but even now results have fallen off a cliff under the Spaniard the teenager is being overlooked and his usage is actually decreasing.
Speculation is rife as to what is behind it, and now it has emerged that while there was a slight injury issue previously, there is no physical cause for the attacker to be left out.
Reporting via Twitter after the latest snub LUFCFANZONE wrote: “On Willy Gnonto’s playing time, a source close to the player has told LUFCFANZONE: ‘Before the Liverpool game Willy sustained a small injury. He was 80% fit for the Liverpool game but has been 100% and available full strength for every game after’.
“Strange”.
The account has previously been proven to have sources among the Whites squad by owner Andrea Radrizzani.
Baffling
Gnonto’s numbers this season – four league and cup goals with three assists – might not blow people away but he has shown himself to be one of the most dangerous attacking options the club has.
After breaking into the first team to help contribute to Crysencio Summerville’s shock winner at Anfield back on 29 October he immediately made it into the starting line up for the next game and didn’t leave until Gracia’s reign.
He’d played the full 90 minutes in each of the previous seven Premier League games under Marsch and Michael Skubala, but the current boss has only given him 241 minutes of action in total over the ensuing nine matches he was fit enough to be in the squad for.
A case could be made that Jack Harrison, Luis Sinisterra, or even Summerville, are a better fit for this Leeds United side, but unless Gracia knows something that nobody else does there seems little chance that Georginio Rutter or Brenden Aaronson are better options when chasing late goals.
And yet over recent weeks all have been turned to before him in different games, with two matches passing by with him sat on the bench at the final whistle, including Tuesday night’s 1-1 draw with Leicester (26 April).
It is genuinely reaching the point when huge sections of the Elland Road crowd are chanting for Gnonto to be brought on that Gracia must be going out of his way to sideline the 19-year-old.
When results had picked up it was one thing, but now they’ve fallen apart it is another, and it is arguably bordering on dereliction of duty for a relegation-threatened manager to be getting next to nothing out of one of his top attacking threats of his own volition.
In other Leeds United news, a key man has now been “ruled out” for the upcoming Bournemouth clash.