Leeds United are back in Championship action once again this afternoon as they take on Plymouth Argyle at Home Park for the second time this month.
The Whites ran out 4-1 winners in Devon in the FA Cup as they needed extra time to secure the win, which earned them a clash with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the next round.
Daniel Farke's side are now going there in search of three points as they look to continue their march towards automatic promotion back to the Premier League.
Every match and point is important as the Whites compete with Southampton and Ipswich to secure second place, whilst Leicester City appear to be uncatchable with a 12-point lead over the Yorkshire-based outfit.
Leeds head into this match off the back of an emphatic 4-0 win away at Swansea in Wales on Tuesday night, as they demolished Luke William's side.
With games coming thick and fast, and a huge game against Leicester on the horizon, Farke could make some changes to his team to keep players fresh.
With that in mind, the German head coach should move Georginio Rutter aside, after an underwhelming – by his standards – display on Tuesday, to unleash Daniel James alongside Wilfried Gnonto in the attack.
Georgino Rutter's performance against Swansea
The French gem has been one of the best creative talents in the Championship this season with his ability to consistently unlock opposition defences.
However, that was not on display in Wales earlier this week as the 21-year-old maestro failed to create a single opportunity for his teammates on the night.
The former Hoffenheim whiz also had four shots, totalling 0.32 xG, and did not find the back of the net, which meant that he ended the match without a goal contribution in the 4-0 drubbing.
Rutter, who did complete five of his nine attempted dribbles, is capable of far more than that when he is at his best as a number ten in the Championship.
The Leeds star currently ranks within the top 2% of forwards in the division for shot-creating actions (4.34) and Expected Assisted Goals (0.34) per 90 respectively, which shows that not many other players in his position create high-quality chances for their teammates as frequently as he does.
In 31 league appearances, Rutter has contributed with five goals and ten assists for his side, whilst the talented ace has also created a whopping 19 'big chances' for his fellow attackers.
These statistics show that the young magician has the quality to unpick defences with his fabulous passing, which is why his performance against Swansea was underwhelming.
This long trip to Plymouth could be the perfect opportunity for Farke to rest the Whites gem, ahead of next Friday's clash with Leicester at Elland Road.
That would open up the door for James to make his return on the right side of the attack, as Gnonto could be moved into a central position behind Joel Piroe at the top end of the pitch.
Wilfried Gnonto's recent form
The Italy international has been in sublime form for Leeds in recent weeks and is finally showcasing his quality in the final third on a regular basis.
He had only managed one goal and one assist in his first 21 appearances in the Championship, which included seven starts for the former Zurich whiz.
Gnonto has started the club's last three matches in the division and chipped in with three goals and one assist, to take his total to four goals and two assists in 24 games.
The 20-year-old ace also found the back of the net against Plymouth at Home Park in the FA Cup in the middle of that run of fixtures, which means that he has already made an impact on this ground this month.
Interestingly, that goal also came from Gnonto moving into a central position to receive the ball from Glen Kamara on the edge of the box, which allowed him to take a touch and fire the ball into the bottom corner.
His goal against Bristol City and his second against Swansea also came from him drifting into the middle to run onto a pass before unleashing a fine shot to find the back of the net, which is why moving him into Rutter's position today could be a good move by Farke.
Why Leeds should unleash Dan James
The German head coach should unleash James alongside Gnonto, and Crysencio Summerville, in the attacking three behind Piroe as the Welsh gem has the quality to be a difference-maker in the final third.
He came off the bench in the 4-0 win over Swansea for his first appearance since the 1-0 win over Norwich in January and could make his return to the starting line-up today.
Norwich City
Assist
Preston North End
Goal
Cardiff
Goal
Peterborough United
Assist
Birmingham
Goal and assist
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the former Manchester United winger was in fantastic form before his recent injury with at least one goal or assist in each of his last five appearances in all competitions.
James, who was hailed as "electric" by journalist Sanny Rudravajhala earlier this term, has been impressive throughout the 2023/24 campaign with his exciting play in the Championship.
The 26-year-old whiz has racked up ten goals, from 7.45 xG, and six assists, from 5.49 xA, in 23 league starts for Farke's side so far this term.
Only Piroe (11) and Summerville (15) have scored more goals than James in the second tier for Leeds this season, which speaks to how important his contributions have been at the top end of the pitch.
Ten goals to his name from 7.45 xG also shows that the Welsh dynamo has been ruthless in front of goal and more than made the most of the chances that his teammates have provided him with.
This suggests that Farke would not significantly weaken his team by ditching Rutter to unleash James alongside Gnonto and Summerville for this clash, which is why he can afford to rest the French whiz to hand important minutes to the 5 foot 7 winger to get him back up to full match fitness.
