Here are your latest Leeds United morning headlines for Monday, January 9.
'Infectious' Wilfried Gnonto hailed as a 'great purchase' after Cardiff comeback
Jon Newsome has hailed Wilfried Gnonto as a 'great purchase' for Leeds United, as he played a crucial role in helping the Whites come from two goals behind to force a replay against Cardiff City in the Welsh capital.
Leeds trailed by two goals to nil at the break and Gnonto initially failed to impose himself on the game until exploding into life during the final 30 minutes. He terrorised the Bluebirds down the left flank and had a hand in the equalising goal, as his low cross was flicked on by Junior Firpo, and into the path of goal scorer Sonny Perkins.
Read more: Sonny Perkins announces himself to save Leeds United as Max Wober makes impression
Former Leeds defender Newsome has been impressed by the Italian international, who joined Leeds from FC Zurich in the summer, and expects the 18-year-old to have a very bright future.
“[I like] everything about him. I like his attitude and just daft little things like the ball goes behind for a goal kick and he runs into the ground and gets the ball back. He wants to win, he wants to play, give me the ball," Newsome told BBC West Yorkshire Sports Daily.
“He’s positive when he gets the ball. He’ll take you on the outside, he’ll take you on the inside, he can use either foot. He’s got such a future and he’s a great purchase, a great acquisition for the football club.
“And he’s infectious. Him and Rodrigo, when Rodrigo come on, I thought they were the shining lights really, and they were the ones that had the positivity and turned the game for us.”
Leeds United chaos cannot be trusted by Jesse Marsch through job-defining seven weeks
Leeds United were wretched for an hour at Cardiff City on Sunday and then their substitutions changed the match. Somehow, they salvaged a draw, a replay which feels like a minor inconvenience and, just about, their pride.
The Bluebirds came into this match two points above the Championship’s relegation zone with more than half of the campaign now under their belts. No team has scored fewer goals than Cardiff in the second tier (20 goals in 26 matches).
Mark Hudson then took that team of goal-shy relegation battlers and made eight changes to the line-up which last played in the league seven days earlier. Even though Jesse Marsch made seven switches of his own, one fewer than Hudson, there was still more than enough in that line-up to get the job done.
Read Beren Cross' post-match talking points here.
Jesse Marsch provides Leeds United injury update as quartet miss Cardiff
Jesse Marsch has given a full injury rundown after being forced to leave a few big names out of Leeds United’s FA Cup clash with Cardiff City on Sunday afternoon. The Whites were without goalkeeper Illan Meslier, while Liam Cooper and Robin Koch were both missing in South Wales, too.
Their absences left Marsch needing to make changes at the back, with Diego Llorente, Rasmus Kristensen and Junior Firpo stepping into the side. Tyler Adams was missing, too, along with Adam Forshaw and Patrick Bamford who weren’t expected to travel to the Cardiff City Stadium anyway due to injury.
Marsch, though, hopes to welcome all of the above names back into contention next week, and he has revealed Luis Sinisterra could make a return to full training in the build-up to Friday’s Premier League clash with Aston Villa.
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