Daniel Farke to axe goalscoring star in change to system – Leeds predicted XI vs Chelsea
Leeds United take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday evening as their fight for Premier League survival continues.
Daniel Farke’s side come into the game off the back of a 3-1 win over Nottingham Forest at Elland Road, a result that keeps them six points clear of the relegation zone.
Jayden Bogle opened the scoring for Leeds, latching onto a superb long ball from Ilia Gruev.
Noah Okafor then doubled the Whites’ lead before Dominic Calvert-Lewin added a third, with Lorenzo Lucca heading in a consolation late on.
Leeds can expect a much tougher test away at Chelsea though, and Farke will be forced into some changes.
Noah Okafor to be dropped by Daniel Farke
Okafor scored his first goal since the start of October on Friday evening, but could drop down to the bench for the trip to West London.
Brenden Aaronson will likely move up alongside Dominic Calvert-Lewin, with Sean Longstaff coming into the midfield.
Elsewhere, Farke would’ve hoped for some continuity from the Forest game, but he has been forced into a change at the back.
Pascal Struijk will miss the clash with Chelsea after picking up a hip flexor issue, meaning there will be a reshuffle in defence.
Jaka Bijol has returned from injury and could slot in the centre of a back three, with Joe Rodon moving out to the left and James Justin continuing on the right.
Lucas Perri could also come back in.
Daniel Farke to pack the midfield against Chelsea
In the last few games, Farke has left Calvert-Lewin up front on his own, with the likes of Aaronson and Okafor slightly deeper and wider than the striker.
However, against a quality team like Chelsea, the German boss may decide to pack the midfield.
If that is the case, Okafor will likely take the fall, with Aaronson moving further forward to play off Calvert-Lewin, and Longstaff coming into the middle.
Despite finding the back of the net against Forest, Okafor has struggled with his end product at times this season.
Aaronson has proved his quality in recent weeks, and with Leeds unlikely to get many chances away at Chelsea, it would be no surprise to see the American preferred next to Calvert-Lewin.
It is all about the next game at the minute, and rotation is a key part of that.