Leeds United are back in action in the Championship once again as they prepare to take on Luton Town at Kenilworth Road in the early kick-off this afternoon.
The Whites are looking to bounce back from successive 2-2 draws against Swansea and Queens Park Rangers either side of the international break.
Daniel Farke has already confirmed that there will be one change to his starting line-up for this clash with the Hatters, as Illan Meslier will be dropped to the bench in favour of Karl Darlow.
Why Daniel Farke is right to drop Illan Meslier
The German head coach looks to be making the sensible decision to take the French stopper out of the firing line, after he fumbled a cross for Swansea’s first goal last weekend.
Meslier has now made three errors that have directly led to goals for the opposition in the Championship this season, with the other two coming in away games against Sunderland and Hull.
The left-footed dud has also conceded 2.73 more goals than the average goalkeeper would be expected to based on the xG of the shots against him this term, which shows that he has underperformed as a shot-stopper whilst also being error-prone.
This is why Farke is right to drop him from the side to give Darlow, who has not made a single appearance in the league this season, a chance to shine between the sticks.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
However, Meslier is not the only player who should be taken out of the team, as the former Norwich City head coach must also ruthlessly ditch Dan James.
Why Dan James should be dropped
The Wales international should be removed from the XI as well as the French flop after his disappointing performance against his former club last weekend.
James started on the right side of the attack at Elland Road for the 2-2 draw with the Swans and was not directly involved in either of the two goals that Leeds scored, as Wilfried Gnonto and Brenden Aaronson got on the scoresheet.
Minutes
85
Touches
34
Pass accuracy
50% (8/16)
Shots
4
Goals
0
Key passes
1
Big chances created
0
Assists
0
As you can see in the table above, the former Manchester United man endured a torrid time against Swansea, completing just 50% of his passes and failing to make a significant impact at the top end of the pitch.
The £50k-per-week star has now gone four matches without a goal or an assist, and seven games without a goal, in the Championship, which is why Farke must ruthlessly take him out of the XI for this clash with Luton, given the other options he has at his disposal.
Gnonto scored one minute after coming on for James and the Italy U21 international, who has racked up six goals and five assists in the league, should be brought into the starting line-up this afternoon.
The Italian dynamo’s late goal against Swansea was more than the Welshman has contributed in his last four league outings, and Farke must, now, provide Gnonto with an opportunity to showcase his quality from the start.
Leeds thought they had "the new Van Dijk", but Farke sold him for just £2m
Leeds United may have prematurely sold a player who could follow in Virgil van Dijk’s footsteps.
1 ByEthan LambApr 4, 2025
Therefore, Meslier is not the only player who should be dropped against the Hatters, and was not the only player who flopped against Swansea last time out.