The Italian’s injury may open the door for Leeds’ deadline-day signing to make an impression at Elland Road.
Leeds United’s tie with Hull City exposed their inability to influence and dominate games.
Willy Gnonto’s injury is a concern, but Leeds has the depth to compensate for him without losing sleep.
Jaidon Anthony, who has demonstrated his skill at this level and can offer match-defining moments, could be a potential alternative for Gnonto.
Leeds United didn’t emerge unscathed from their frustrating 0-0 draw away to Hull City on Wednesday evening.
The Whites registered more shots on goal than the hosts, but were ultimately trumped in the possession and passing stakes courtesy of Liam Rosenior’s willingness to control the tempo.
Critically, some would counter that it underlines Leeds’ own inability to dictate and take games to their opponents, an issue that you feel will have to pick up in the coming weeks and months if they are to truly realise their ambitions of returning the top-flight under Daniel Farke.
Leeds could’ve simply done with dusting themselves down and heading back to the drawing board ahead of tomorrow’s showdown to Watford, but they will now host the Hornets without Joe Rodon, who received his marching orders upon the hour mark for a challenge on Aaron Connolly.
However, they could also be without Willy Gnonto, with the forward lasting just 21 minutes at the MKM Stadium before being hauled off for Crysencio Summerville through injury.
At the time of writing, Farke has remained very quiet on the subject, although he immediately made clear that he is not yet certain of the timeline regarding Gnonto’s injury.
When quizzed by reporters in the immediate aftermath, Farke simply responded: “Knock on his foot and rolled his ankle.
What are Leeds United fans saying about Willy Gnonto’s injury scare?
It could be easy to immediately press the panic button, but FLW fan pundit Kris Smith has adopted a relaxed stance, instead emphasing the side’s strength in depth and that Gnonto himself didn’t seem too badly injured in the first place.
He said: “I think the way he tried to carry on doesn’t seem to suggest it’s a long-term issue, but I’d be surprised if he’s fit enough to start against Watford on Saturday.
“It’s ironic really, that Gnonto will spend the whole season in the Championship getting fouled by defenders, but the injury came from him bundling into Scott Twine and fouling him.
“As much as he’s a major miss for us, for whichever games he’s potentially not available for long or short-term, thankfully we’ve got enough depth to cover for him and not lose too much sleep.
“You’d expect that Jaidon Anthony is a shoo-in to start on Saturday on that left wing, especially with how Dan James did his best to kill every Leeds attack at Hull!”
Is Jaidon Anthony really a suitable potential replacement for Willy Gnonto at Leeds United?
As explained, Anthony does feel the natural replacement against Watford if Gnonto is unavailable, and it’s surely time that Farke gave him a start following his exciting deadline day arrival from Bournemouth.
During his time with the Cherries, he showed just what he’s capable of at this level and orchestrated a key role in their promotion in the 2021/22 campaign by weighing in with eight goals and seven assists.
Having already fought out four draws from just seven matches – the most in the division alongside Coventry City – Leeds are crying out for a player that can come through when it matters and provide a key, match-defining moment that separates the fine margins at play.
He is not, however, Leeds’ only other option, and Summerville’s impressive impact off the bench will amplify the selection headache that Farke will undoubtedly face.
Ian Poveda is also not to be overlooked, and while he lacks the game-changing pedigree of the aforementioned duo, his promising pre-season performances have undoubtedly earned him credit, which could translate into a starting berth soon if Gnonto is sidelined for an extended period of time.
Of course, Leeds fans will be hoping that isn’t the case, and Gnonto’s absence will undoubtedly be a hindrance- but they can be confident knowing the composition of their reinforcements waiting in the wings.
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