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Leeds United go in search of their first win in the Premier League since November as they travel away from Yorkshire to face Nottingham Forest this afternoon.
Jesse Marsch’s side have not managed to pick up three points from a match since they beat Bournemouth 4-3 before the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and are only above the relegation zone on goal difference as it stands.
However, the Whites did enjoy a victory in their last competitive outing as they beat Accrington Stanley 3-1 away from Elland Road in the FA Cup last weekend.
Jack Harrison, Luis Sinisterra, and Junior Firpo all found the back of the net as Marsch’s team progressed through to the fifth round of the competition but the American head coach may not want to go with the same starting XI.
One player, who was not involved in the match, who must now be unleashed against Nottingham Forest today is wide forward Wilfried Gnonto.
Should Wilfried Gnonto start?
Yes
No
The Italy international was rested for the cup clash and new signing Georginio Rutter was offered the chance to feature at the top end of the pitch alongside Patrick Bamford.
However, the French youngster endured a difficult debut as he struggled at times. As per Sofascore, Rutter missed two ‘big chances’ and only completed 60% of his attempted passes during his 76 minutes on the pitch, which shows that the attacker was wasteful in possession with both his passing and his finishing.
The 20-year-old did show lightning pace and a few neat touches but his lack of cutting edge on the ball, against lower-league opposition, suggests that the gem needs more time to settle into life in England before earning himself a place in the starting XI.
Marsch should unleash him off the bench in the next few Premier League matches to ease him into life in the English top flight, with Gnonto starting ahead of him in the immediate term.
Writer Tom Carnduff recently hailed the Italian dynamo as “an absolute star” and talent scout Jacek Kulig once described the former Inter marksman as a “real diamond“, which shows how much the young attacker has caught the eye in recent times and over the last few years in Europe.
The 19-year-old has plundered three goals in his last five competitive appearances for Leeds and has created nine chances for his teammates in six Premier League starts this season, which shows that the teen has the quality to make a big impact at the top end of the pitch.
Gnonto has been electric in the final third of late, as evidenced by his impressive statistics, and that is why Marsch must unleash the £20k-per-week maestro ahead of Rutter, after the new arrival’s struggles last time out.
