Daniel Farke’s eyes to light up at Leeds after latest update from Nottingham Forest
Daniel Farke will feel that his Leeds United side have just been handed a major boost for their visit to Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
The pair of early strugglers in the Premier League are set to go head-to-head at the City Ground this weekend, in what could be a crucial ‘six-pointer’ come the end of the season.
Forest are assessed as comfortable favourites to beat Leeds, but the visitors will be looking to exploit a poor record from their hosts that has seen them go winless in their last four games on home turf in the league.
Daniel Farke’s side will need plenty of encouragement amid a run of just one win from their last four games, but they can certainly take solace from the latest update from the Forest camp.
Douglas Luiz out vs Leeds, two key stars doubts for Nottingham Forest
Leeds are aiming to beat Forest in consecutive games for the first time since 1977 on Sunday afternoon, and they will fancy their chances of success after the latest update from the East Midlands outfit.
The Reds have been juggling their Premier League schedule with a first European campaign in 30 seasons, and they drew 0-0 away at Austrian side Sturm Graz on Thursday evening.
That means that Leeds will have had a longer rest period than their opponents ahead of the game, and Sean Dyche’s side also have a number of injury concerns ahead of the encounter.
- Leeds have beaten Forest in just one of their last seven meetings
- Their last win at the City Ground came way back in 2017
- Goals from Kemar Roofe and Ezgjan Alioski secured a 2-0 win on that day
The 54-year-old has effectively ruled Douglas Luiz out of the clash, while the availability of Callum Hudson-Odoi and Chris Wood is doubtful ahead of this weekend.
“Douglas Luiz is going to receive treatment,” Dyche said ahead of the Sturm Graz trip, according to the Nottingham Post.
“That is not likely to be a quick situation; we are waiting on more news. Callum (Hudson-Odoi) is hopefully going to be slightly easier. We will see how it goes for the weekend. Wood is making good progress.”
Farke and the rest of the staff at Elland Road will be well aware of the issues facing their opponents ahead of Sunday’s clash, and the boss’ eyes will surely have lit up at the thought of all three stars potentially being absent.
Daniel Farke has to target set pieces vs Nottingham Forest
Leeds have a strong record from set pieces so far this season, and that could be invaluable during Sunday’s clash.
Forest have been woeful at defending dead-ball situations in 2025-26, and they have desperately struggled to deal with balls into their box under all three of their managers so far this term.
The Whites have several aerial threats in the likes of Joe Rodon and Ethan Ampadu, and if they can dominate their hosts from restarts, then it could hold the key to securing a positive result.
It has the potential to be a pivotal afternoon at the City Ground, and there are no surprises as to what Farke will be drilling into his men in the lead up to the game.
Enjoyed this article? Stay connected with all the latest Leeds United news, updates, and behind-the-scenes content by following us on our new Instagram account – @motleedsnews