Daniel Farke may not use Leeds’ most valuable player vs Chelsea as figures shared
Leeds have a huge task ahead of them as they face up against Chelsea tonight.
The Whites had beaten the Blues earlier in the season, but with a new manager at Stamford Bridge, it is a completely new challenge.
Daniel Farke has stated that 38 points would see Leeds avoid relegation, and with a win tonight, they would go within six points of that tally.
Leeds’ forwards do have hope based on Chelsea’s defensive record, but whether the Peacocks can remain defensively sound themselves will be key.
Paul Merson believes the challenge is too big for Leeds, but Farke will not have that mindset when setting up his team.
Facundo Buonanotte listed as Leeds’ most valuable player
Leeds’ winter window was fairly quiet, with Facundo Buonanotte the only arrival for the first team, joining on loan.
It has been a stop-start season for the Argentine, who was given sporadic appearances earlier in the campaign by tonight’s opposition, Chelsea.
Now, at Elland Road, the hope will be that the attacking midfielder can contribute to their survival prospects, but so far there has been little time to show his quality.
However, despite that short period, Buonanotte is seemingly already making a splash.
According to CIES Observatory, Buonanotte is the most valuable player at Leeds, with his worth noted around £19million to £22m.
While he has not featured much so far, Leeds insiders believe Buonanotte gives them something different in attack.
If he can live up to that tag, the Peacocks may very well seek to sign him on a permanent deal at the end of the season. However, it has not been an easy start.
Daniel Farke to make big call on Facundo Buonanotte vs Chelsea
When Leeds announced their squad to take on Nottingham Forest, Buonanotte was a notable omission.
The Argentine joined on loan in the winter transfer window, but with the return of Daniel James, there was no place for him in Farke’s plans on Friday.
Buonanotte was not injured or suspended, so it was strictly a call made by the Whites’ boss, and it looks like he will be making the same decision once more.
Ahead of the game, Farke was asked about the decision and how the player reacted.
However, he shot it down by simply saying their schedule meant he did not have time to “impress” in training.
After a big win against Nottingham Forest and little time to train between the turnaround of games, the likelihood is that the German will stick with the same squad, with Buonanotte forced to watch from the sidelines again.