Leeds United early team news v Burnley in new Wilfried Gnonto update
Junior Firpo, Mateo Joseph and Wilfried Gnonto will all return to Leeds United unscathed after the international break, according to Joe Donnohue.
The Yorkshire Evening Post journalist reported on 11 September that the trio featured for their respective nations in matches on 10 September, and all came away unharmed in some good news for Daniel Farke.
Firpo played the full match and registered an assist in the Dominican Republic’s 2-0 win over Dominica in the CONCACAF Nations League, while Joseph came off the bench in a 1-0 win for Spain’s Under-21s.
Gnonto, whose withdrawal at half-time of Italy Under-21s’ 7-0 win over San Marino sparked worry last week, showed there was no injury issue as he played 88 minutes of a 3-0 victory against Norway, also getting an assist.
Daniel Farke will be relieved after Leeds United injury news
With 11 of his first-team players heading out on international duty just four games into the new Championship season, Farke likely feared the worst on the injuries front.
The March 2024 break was seen as a sliding doors moment in United’s promotion push last season, with crucial absentees and a crushing defeat helping to curtail the final weeks of their campaign.
Wales’ agonising loss to Poland on penalties put Ethan Ampadu, Joe Rodon, Daniel James and then-loanee Connor Roberts through the wringer, with James crestfallen as he missed the decisive spot-kick.
Injuries to Gnonto and Ilia Gruev also ruled two of the Whites’ form players out of crucial matches in the run-in, as Farke’s side won just two of their last eight games and were consigned to the play-offs.
This time around though, it appears Farke will have a full complement to choose from as his side host Burnley on 14 September – a match in which Firpo, Joseph and Gnonto will have crucial parts to play.
In other Leeds United news, the club’s ownership could be getting their priorities all wrong after reports of one player’s new contract.
Noel Egan has called for the Football Association to act against Burnley star Hannibal Mejbri after his run-in with Leeds United supporters.
The ex-FIFA official believes behaviour like Mejbri’s needs “to be cut out
As Mejbri was leaving the field during Burnley’s 1-0 win over Leeds at Elland Road on Saturday (14 September) – a result which has piled pressure on Daniel Farke – he could be seen winding up the Leeds faithful by gesturing toward them (TurfCastPodcast on X, 14 September).
The ex-Manchester United man continued his antics via social media, posting a picture to his personal Instagram account (14 September), with the caption, “Always good to play those type of games, even better when you bring the three points home”.
And Egan – speaking exclusively to MOT Leeds News – feels that Mejbri took things a bit too far.
