Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke has to throw Dan James back into his starting line-up to address his lack of goals away from home if the winger is back to full fitness.
Dan James has been a notable absence for the majority of the Premier League season to date, having suffered a run of injuries.
The Leeds United attack has stuttered in his absence from the starting line-up, looking dangerous in wins over Wolves and West Ham, but drawing a blank against Burnley and Brighton.
James is nearing a return to fitness ahead of Leeds’ game against Nottingham Forest and could be recalled to the starting side in place of Brenden Aaronson if the Leeds manager deems that he is ready to start.
Leeds looked one-dimensional in attack in their last Premier League outing. If James is fit to play, then Daniel Farke has no option but to throw him back in the side.
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty ImagesWhat did Daniel Farke say about Dan James’ fitness to return
Speaking in his weekly press conference ahead of Leeds’ game against Sean Dyche’s Nottingham Forest side, Farke explained how close James is to a return to full fitness.
According to Farke, there are no remaining concerns over the Wales international, and he is ready to start if selected for the trip to the City Ground.
Farke said: “In terms of his fitness, I would say, he’s back and able to start again. Yes, we have lots of competition because we also need in the offence, of course, players who can deliver end products and can chip in.
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“But also to make sure that we find a good balance between creators and also players who are perhaps a bit more straightforward in order to use perhaps either to their pace or to score themselves.
“For that, we have one winger who is a bit more straightforward and attacks also with his pace or with dribbling the box and perhaps one more player who is also capable of delivering some assists and for that, we always need for each of the games to find a good balance.
“So I would say Daniel, for example, fits several of our winger types, but also not to each and every one. And for that, I always like to find the balance between who starts in the game.
“Yes, he has all chances to impress in training, he has all chances to use his chances when he comes on, and then we always try to find the good balance and the right decisions.”
Photo by Visionhaus/Getty ImagesDaniel Farke has to reintroduce Dan James into the Leeds United attack
The stats from Leeds’ attack away from home so far this season make for stark reading, as Farke looks to become the first manager since Don Revie to win a top-flight game at the City Ground.
Whilst it is unfair to pin that blame entirely on Brenden Aaronson, the American had a difficult afternoon at the Amex as Leeds fell to a damaging defeat.
According to FotMob, Aaronson failed to complete a successful dribble, was dispossessed three times and had just one touch in the opposition box, as he was shifted from the wing into a central position to end the game.
Brenden Aaronson v Brighton:
- Touches: 41
- Chances Created: 1
- Dispossessed: 3
- Successful Dribbles: 0/2
- Passes into final third: 1
- Touches in the Opposition box: 1
James offers a different threat to Aaronson, as he possesses the electric pace to stretch the opposition defence with his runs in behind.
The Wales forward also showed that he can be a threat in the final third, having scored 12 goals and registered nine assists last season.
Leeds’ attack is not currently functioning away from Elland Road. Reintroducing James could be the move that gets the Whites firing again.