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Nottingham Post
Nottingham Post
Sport
Danny Bloomer

Leeds United dealt major blow for Nottingham Forest clash

Leeds United will be without key defender Robin Koch for their visit to Nottingham Forest due to suspension.

Koch picked up his fifth booking of the season in Leeds' 0-0 draw with Brentford on Sunday for a foul on Ivan Toney in the closing stages. The Germany international was just seven minutes away from avoiding an automatic one-match ban, with the Whites having played their 19th game of the season against Thomas Frank's side at the weekend.

Leeds are set to face an FA Cup visit to either Boreham Wood or Accrington Stanley prior to their visit to the City Ground, but yellow card suspensions are competition specific meaning it is the Forest game he will miss. Koch has been an important player for Leeds so far this season having started every match in the league and so is likely to be a big miss.

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His form had tailed off in recent weeks but Koch produced arguably his best performance of the season to keep the in-form Toney quiet, striking up an impressive partnership with new signing Maximilian Wober, who was starting for the first time in the Premier League.

That said, Jesse Marsch will have a number of options at his disposal to replace the absent Koch, with Diego Llorente and Liam Cooper the most likely candidates. Cooper is the club's captain and almost always starts when he is available, but is primarily a left-footed centre-back.

Llorente on the other hand would be the most natural replacement given he is right footed, though his form in the last 12 months has been called into question. After playing 90 minutes in each of Leeds' first six matches, he has started just one Premier League game since.

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