Leeds United get Noah Okafor back as Farke weighs ‘rare’ clean bill and Gudmundsson ban | OneFootball

Leeds United have Noah Okafor back in team training and he will be available for Saturday night against Brentford, though a start remains uncertain. Daniel Farke reported a fully fit squad, with only Gabriel Gudmundsson suspended.

As reported by yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk, the winger sustained a hamstring problem in the FA Cup tie at Birmingham City and then missed four league matches plus the win over Norwich City. Since arriving from AC Milan he has made 23 Premier League appearances and scored four.

Farke called it rare to reach March without injuries and stressed that caution is not the route to keeping players fit. Once cleared by medical staff, he will not wrap Okafor or others in cotton wool, preferring robust training to build resilience alongside sleep, nutrition and recovery. He praised the medical team and said he believes hard work pays off.

On selection, he could again tweak his attack after starting Lukas Nmecha and Dominic Calvert-Lewin at Crystal Palace last weekend. At left wing-back he views James Justin as the most natural stand-in for Gudmundsson, with alternatives including a winger there or Sam Byram. He does not see Pascal Struijk in that role.

Farke stopped short of confirming his XI, reflecting that the Palace first half was stop-start with many dead balls, which demanded physicality. He added that Nmecha remains a viable starter on merit and that it is a good problem to have.

Source: yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk