Jesse Marsch will be busy mulling over his Leeds United starting XI ahead of this Sunday’s game against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. At least one change will come in south London as the head coach looks to replace Luis Sinisterra, who will be serving a one-match suspension for the red card he received last weekend.
It could be a straight swap, with Crysencio Summerville the most obvious choice to slot into the side on the wing, or the Colombian's absence could prompt a reshuffle of the front four. Marsch may also be considering his striker options with Patrick Bamford and Rodrigo competing for the number nine spot.
With that in mind, here are five options for the front four this weekend.
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A) Summerville, Aaronson, Harrison; Rodrigo/Bamford
Should Marsch wish to keep changes to an absolute minimum then this may be the way to go. Summerville has been waiting patiently for his opportunity to start for the Whites and this could be it as Sinisterra is left at home.
The head coach has spoken about trying to find more opportunities for Summerville in the side and having seen him star on a couple of occasions in the Under-21s this season, he may be tempted to give him the nod from the start. It would be his first Premier League start for the club and he’d be determined to catch the eye and give the head coach some food for thought leading into next week’s clash with Arsenal.
This change would allow Jack Harrison to switch back to his preferred left edge with Brenden Aaronson staying put in the middle of the park. If Bamford is fully fit and firing, it seems there would be a choice to make up front.
Rodrigo did well at times against Villa, but whether he did enough to keep hold of his place in the team remains to be seen.
B) Rodrigo, Aaronson, Harrison; Bamford
This front four is how Leeds started the season and Marsch may be tempted to return to it if Bamford is considered fit enough to start. Rodrigo can play in that secondary striker role, while Aaronson has shown he is more than capable of performing in wide areas, cutting inside and attempting to wreak havoc.
Again, this option sees Harrison move back out to the left, while Bamford would make his first start for the Whites since injuring his groin in the draw against Southampton back in August. Summerville would likely be seen off the bench in this instance and asked to make an impact against tired legs.
C) Harrison, Aaronson, Gnonto; Rodrigo/Bamford
This is another option that would give Marsch the opportunity to keep changes to a minimum. It would also provide Leeds fans with the opportunity to see Wilfried Gnonto in the side for the very first time.
The Italy international has caught the eye during his two appearances in the Under-21s and having watched Sunday’s game against Villa from the bench, he’ll be desperate for the opportunity to test himself at Premier League level. He’s been seen on the left for Michael Skubala’s side and this option may see Harrison remain on the right at Selhurst Park.
It would also leave Marsch with a selection to make up front between Rodrigo and Bamford.
D) Aaronson, Klich, Harrison; Rodrigo/Bamford
Mateusz Klich has hardly been at the top of Marsch’s pecking order so far this season, but he’s made an impact when he’s come off the bench and he would relish the opportunity to make his first league start of the campaign. The Poland international is keen to pick up as many minutes as possible to make sure of his spot in the World Cup squad and strong showing at Selhurst Park would do his hopes no harm at all.
His experience and nous would certainly come in handy, too, in what is set to be challenging contest against Patrick Vieira’s side. This would see Harrison on the left, Aaronson on the right and one of Rodrigo or Bamford up front.
E) Aaronson, Rodrigo, Harrison; Gelhardt
Plenty was made of Gelhardt’s omission on Sunday as the youngster missed out on a place in the squad and dropped down to the U21s to pick up some much needed game time. He certainly sent Marsch a message with his performance in the Papa John’s Trophy against Tranmere Rovers at Prenton Park, bagging two goals and standing out as one of Leeds’ best.
The head coach will have watched the game and he’ll have been impressed with the youngster’s attitude and commitment to the cause. As a result, Gelhardt may find himself back in the fold and it wouldn’t be beyond the realms of imagination to see him start.
A Gelhardt start would be dependent on a couple of things, though. Firstly, Rodrigo would have to move deeper into the secondary striker role. There would also have to be doubts over Bamford’s ability to come back into the starting line-up, due to fitness.
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