Daniel Farke has a tough decision on his hands at Leeds after the international break following Dan James’ excellent performance for Wales on international duty.
The Dragons took down Gibraltar 4-0 in an international friendly, but the former Manchester United man started the showdown on the bench. Injury to Ipswich Town’s Wes Burns saw James take to the field when perhaps he thought he’d earn a rest on the bench ahead of their Euro qualifier against Croatia.
James came off the bench in the 15th minute while Wales were at 0-0, but made quick work of helping shift the tide after earning two assists within 30 minutes. He whipped a ball in for Nathan Broadhead, who headed home to make it 3-0 for Rob Pages’ side.
Just 10 minutes later on the stroke of halftime, James latched onto a progressive pass, before chipping the ball to the far post for Kieffer Moore to almost secure the victory.
James has been a regular starter for Leeds this season, making seven starts this season. However, Gnonto has started ahead of James, including against Millwall, suggesting the Welshman’s spot is no guarantee.
Football Italia reported (3 October) that Gnonto is set to return to training after the international break after his spell with injury, but considering James’ excellent display, Farke may reconsider how quickly the Italian will return to the side.
Per SofaScore, James produced, on top of his brace of assists, three key passes, two big chances created, 95 touches and three tackles, showing his dominance in the Wales attack but also his ability to prevent counterattacks.
Farke could, and has, played the pair together. However, Leeds have proved their worth without their recent wantaway and have secured themselves a playoff spot in his absence. While Gnonto’s quality is undoubted, the side can clearly function at a high standard without him.
James’ message to Farke is clear. He deserves his spot in the starting 11 each week and has proved that consistently throughout the Championship season. Gnotno may have to wait a little while longer before he sees the pitch again
