Farke must unleash 5 ft 7 Leeds wizard alongside Summerville vs Preston

Leeds United travel away from Elland Road this afternoon as they face Preston North End at Deepdale in the Championship on Boxing Day.

The Whites are heading into this clash off the back of a thumping 4-0 win over Ipswich Town and can cut the gap to the Tractor Boys, before their match against Leicester City this evening, to four points with a win.

Head coach Daniel Farke could look to make some alterations to his starting XI with two games in the space of four days and Wilfried Gnonto could benefit from that.

The German tactician must finally unleash the Italy international from the start after a few underwhelming performances from Dan James, as the 20-year-old ace could be an exciting option on the flank alongside Crysencio Summerville on the other side.

James managed zero goals and one key pass in his last three starts for the Whites and his lack of impact at the top end of the pitch could see him drop out of the XI for Gnonto.

Gnonto’s season in numbers

The 5 foot 7 whiz has only started six Championship matches this season and his last start for Leeds came against Stoke in October.

He has contributed with one goal and one assist in the division so far but his lack of regular starts has left him unable to hit his stride in the final third.

Last season, Gnonto ranked within the top 19% of wingers in the Premier League for assists (0.27) per 90 as he racked up four assists in 14 top-flight starts.

This shows that the Leeds starlet, who was once described as a “beautiful” footballer by journalist Josh Bunting, has the potential to be a terrific creative threat down the right flank at his best.

A start against Preston today could ignite his campaign by providing him with an opportunity to showcase his talent, particularly ahead of the January transfer window.

Summerville’s season in numbers

Gnonto could form one half of an exciting wing partnership with Summerville, who has been in splendid form this season, on the left side of the attack.

The Dutch forward has been a constant threat in the final third in the Championship and is a major menace to opposition defences out wide.

He has plundered an eye-catching 11 goals and six assists for the Whites, along with the unofficial assist for Leif Davis’ own goal on Saturday with his teasing delivery into the six-yard box that bounced off the left-back and into the back of the net.

Summerville has scored at least two more goals than any of his Leeds teammates and currently tops the squad for key passes (3.1) and dribbles completed (2.7) per game.

These statistics show that the 22-year-old magician has been an outstanding attacking force at the top end of the pitch for the Whites this term, with his ability to both score and create goals from a left wing position.

He can strike fear into opposition defenders with his direct running and gets supporters off his feet in doing so, which is what Gnonto could look to provide on the opposite flank with his creative potential.

Together, they could cause constant problems for Preston with their pace, movement, and skill on the wings, which is why Farke must unleash them both.