Daniel Farke picked two goalkeepers on his Leeds United bench for the FA Cup meeting with Plymouth Argyle, and he was questioned if that decision was a clear message to the board for reinforcements.
Daniel Farke is not concerned about having two goalkeepers on the Leeds United bench, as long as he is not forced to play in that position too frequently. A busy week of three matches in six days, combined with a six-man injury list, forced the manager to assemble a 20-man team for yesterday’s draw against Plymouth Argyle.
Farke had two free seats in the dugout the previous time the Whites had two stoppers on the bench due to a lack of numbers. During the height of August’s transfer mayhem, the manager was unable to complete his bench and was forced to start his goalkeepers in two games.
Harry Christy was brought up to the bench yesterday, and with four days left in the transfer window, it was natural to consider the squad’s lack of depth and how crucial some new arrivals would be. Farke was questioned if this was a message to the board requesting reinforcements, but he does not see it as a serious issue as long as it stays an uncommon occurrence.
“Archie Gray was out, Daniel James was out, Cree Summerville felt, in the last session yesterday, a few problems with his adductor, so the group is not too big,” Farke added. “All of the free players who were available were in the group today, and we also had one spot.
“So, we decided to go with the third goalkeeper because you never know. Sometimes an injury occurs during the warm-up, leaving at least two goalkeepers available.
“To be honest, having one or two games in this circumstance isn’t a big deal. It would only be a problem in the future because the numbers would be a little too tight, and that was owing to the heavy workload this week.
“Three games in six days, and we also have some minor injuries. “Hopefully, the situation will improve when we face Bristol [City] next week.”
The Whites travel to Ashton Gate in five days, and the transfer window closes at 11 p.m. the night before that match. Summerville and Gray are projected to recover the most quickly among the current absentees, but Farke will provide an update on Wednesday.
