Leeds United welcome Oxford United to Elland Road in the Championship this afternoon as they look to return to winning ways after their draw last weekend.
The Whites needed a stoppage-time own goal from Jack Whatmaugh to secure a 1-1 draw with Preston North End at Deepdale on their travels last time out.
Daniel Farke’s side had 65% possession in the game and only created two ‘big chances’ to find the back of the net, as they struggled to break down Paul Heckingbottom’s team.
The German head coach could look to make some changes to his starting XI from that draw, and Wilfried Gnonto is one player who could miss out.
Why Wilfried Gnonto should be dropped
With games coming thick-and-fast in the busy festive schedule, Farke may not be able to start players in every game over the next fortnight or so.
This means that he has to take any opportunities he gets to drop and rest players, and Gnonto’s performance against Preston provides him with a chance to take him out of the line-up.
Minutes
65
Key passes
0
Pass accuracy
75%
Shots
1
Shots on target
0
Duels won
3/9
As you can see in the table above, the Italy U21 international did not do enough with the ball in the draw at Deepdale to justify keeping his place in the XI for this clash with Oxford.
The 21-year-old forward did not offer a threat with his shooting, failing to hit the target with his only effort on goal, and did not create a single chance for his teammates.
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Taking him out of the left wing spot would then open the door for Largie Ramazani to come back into the starting XI for the first time since he returned from injury.
Why Largie Ramazani should start
The £17.5k-per-week winger missed five matches with an ankle injury and has come on as a substitute in his four appearances for the club since he recovered.
Ramazani replaced Gnonto for the final 25 minutes of the match against Preston and immediately offered more than the Italian forward, with a shot on target to test Freddie Woodman and a chance created for his teammates.
His bright cameo should earn him a chance to finally return to the starting XI after his spell on the sidelines since injuring his ankle against Watford.
Ramazani, who was once hailed as an “electric” player who is a counter-attacking “weapon” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has only started six Championship games since his move to the club from Almeria in the summer transfer window.
The 23-year-old star has, however, scored three goals and provided one assist in that time, including a goal against Watford in his last start for the Whites, which shows that he does have the quality to make a difference in the final third for Farke.
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Therefore, the German head coach should finally unleash Ramazani from the start again and ruthlessly ditch Gnonto, who struggled last time out, to facilitate it.