The international break is over and Leeds United’s eyes will be firmly on Sunday’s Premier League outing against Aston Villa at Elland Road. It’s been a long time coming for the Whites, who saw their two games before the international break postponed, but some players have been lucky enough to get game time for their nations over the last week or so.
Here’s a look at a few things we learned during the international break.
The Sinisterra show
Leeds have found themselves a diamond in Luis Sinisterra, that’s clear to see as he continues to shine on both the domestic and international stage. The 23-year-old has scored three goals in all competitions for the Whites and he doubled his tally for the campaign by bagging three more in a Colombia shirt.
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Sinisterra notched one against Guatemala before hitting a brace in California against Mexico, despite playing just 45 minutes. He had just five caps for the South American outfit before this international break, but he has well and truly announced himself on the international stage this month and he’ll be back in the squad in November for friendlies with Oman and Tunisia.
The winger will return to Thorp Arch over the next day or two and he’ll be riding a wave of confidence.
Special Sonny
To say Sonny Perkins made a success of his first call-up to England Under-19s would be an understatement. The forward bagged five goals in three games for Simon Rusk’s side, including a hat-trick in the win over Georgia, as the Three Lions got their qualifying campaign for the European Championships up and running in style.
Perkins has now scored in his last eight games for club and country, with 11 goals coming in that period to underline the talent and potential he possesses. Jesse Marsch will be keeping a keen eye on him as he progresses and if he can remain on his current trajectory, a first-team opportunity could be on the cards.
Leeds boys on the outside
Gareth Southgate’s latest selection sent out a clear message about the chances of those England hopefuls currently within the Leeds squad. Patrick Bamford was always going to struggle for recognition after the injury-hit year he has had.
However, Jack Harrison had every right to feel as though he had done enough to perhaps just get his foot in the door after starting the campaign impressively for the Whites. It seems it would take something special for the winger or Bamford to get the nod for the World Cup now and they may have to wait until the next qualifying campaign for their shot.
Koch challenge
Koch was another notable omission within the Leeds side as, despite his strong form, he was left out of the Germany squad this month. The defender has started the season well in the white of Leeds, but his performances haven’t been enough to impress Hansi Flick, it seems, who selected Southampton prospect Armel Bella-Kotchap over him.
However, given Germany’s displays, it’s clear that some spots could still up for grabs within the side. Die Mannschaft lost 1-0 against Hungary in Leipzig before scraping a 3-3 draw against England at Wembley Stadium.
As such, if Koch can continue to excel throughout October and November, he could do enough to catch Flick’s eye and earn himself a spot on the plane to Qatar.
Gnonto’s role
After being linked with Gnonto for the first time last month, Leeds boss Jesse Marsch revealed he didn’t think the Italian would be ready for the Premier League. That prompted questions about how he would be used when he eventually put pen to paper at Elland Road on deadline day.
However, Marsch will have had a good, long look at Gnonto on the training field at Thorp Arch and he will have been impressed with what he saw from the 18-year-old under Roberto Mancini. The former FC Zurich man came off the bench against England but managed to cause plenty of problems with his running game and he was rewarded with a start against Hungary in Budapest.
It seems unlikely that Gnonto will start against Villa on Sunday, but the prospect may well be named on the bench and he’ll be keen to make an impact should the American look his way.
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