Good Morning. It's Tuesday 16th December, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road…
Congestion pile up taking its toll on Palace players
Crystal Palace’s schedule pile up is starting to take its toll on their players. Saturday’s trip to Leeds United will be their fourth match in just ten days, coming barely 48 hours after hosting Finnish side KuPS in the Europa Conference League. To make matters tougher, Palace’s injury list is growing at an inconvenient rate.
The latest casualty is attacking midfielder Daichi Kamada, who hobbled off midway through Sunday’s 3-0 defeat at home to Manchester City. The Japan international required treatment on the pitch before being replaced by Will Hughes in the 67th minute. Manager Oliver Glasner has already confirmed Kamada will sit out the weekend trip to Elland Road, dealing another blow to Palace’s creative options.
That’s not all. Full-back Daniel Muñoz is sidelined following knee surgery, meaning his overlapping runs down the right flank will be absent for the foreseeable future. Winger Ismaila Sarr did make a comeback from an ankle knock in the same City game, but he’s already off to represent Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations this week. Up top, Jean-Philippe Mateta, Palace’s leading scorer, is seeing his minutes carefully rationed to avoid fatigue or fresh injuries, adding yet another selection headache for Glasner.
With such a packed fixture list, four games in ten days, plus an upcoming Carabao Cup clash against Arsenal before Christmas, it’s no surprise Glasner admitted he won’t start the same XI twice this week. Rotations will be inevitable, and squad depth is being tested more than ever. Youngsters and fringe players will get their chance to shine, while seasoned pros may need to shoulder extra responsibility when called upon.
Meslier touted for Celtic switch
Leeds United are gearing up to offload goalkeeper Illan Meslier in the January transfer window, although they're bracing themselves for a significantly reduced fee compared to his once-vaunted price tag. The French U21 International initially joined Elland Road on loan from Lorient in the summer of 2019, with an option to buy, and replaced Kiko Casilla as first-choice shot-stopper later that campaign when Casilla received an 8-game ban for allegedly racially abusing Jonathan Leko. Up until last season Meslier's £6m fee looked to have been money well spent, but a series of high profile blunders have severely dented both his confidence and price tag. With his contract set to expire next summer, Leeds are keen to recoup a nominal fee for his signature.
Rumours have been circulating about potential talks between Leeds and Scottish Champions Celtic, with Meslier possibly linking up with his French compatriot and Celtic's new manager, Wilfried Nancy. However, Leeds are in a precarious position, having no control over Meslier's contract, which allows him to sign a pre-contract with non-English clubs from January 1. This would see him leave Elland Road on a free transfer at the end of his deal, leaving Leeds empty-handed. Celtic, on the other hand, might view this as an opportunity to secure a talented goalkeeper without breaking the bank. They could opt to stick with veteran Dane Kasper Schmeichel until the end of the season before making a change, as his form has been patchy, but not the club's most pressing concern.
Given the circumstances, Leeds will be desperate to offload Meslier next month, but their chances of securing a deal are slim unless a club is in dire need of a new goalkeeper due to injury. Celtic would be an excellent move for Meslier, allowing him to join a new team with a familiar face in the dugout and potentially compete for silverware. It has also been suggested that his agents held brief talks with Inter Milan, but has made it clear that he doesn't want to sit on the bench.
Is Piroe's time up at Elland Road
Has Joel Piroe’s time at Elland Road come to an end? Even with fellow forward Lukas Nmecha sidelined by injury, Farke has opted to switch Noah Okafor from his usual inverted winger role to partner Dominic Calvert-Lewin up front in Leeds’s last two Premier League games. That tactical tweak, while perhaps a nod to Okafor’s versatility, has done little for Piroe, who was the Championship’s leading scorer just last season but now finds himself largely overlooked.
You can almost sense the Dutchman’s frustration. Since arriving from Swansea for £12 million two and a half years ago, Piroe has pushed himself into becoming a reliable marksman, yet this term he’s managed just 197 minutes of football. Substitute cameos aside, he has barely had a sniff of a starting berth. Rumours are swirling that if Leeds do want to bring in a new top-class striker in January, Piroe could be shown the door. He’d no doubt spark a feeding-frenzy among Championship clubs keen to bolster their promotion bids, but buying someone in to replace him means Leeds must find a more prolific option, and that doesn’t come cheap.
Who might fit the bill? Japanese international Ayase Ueda of Feyenoord ticks the goal-getter box. Canada’s towering Promise David at Union Saint-Gilloise has been banging them in for fun. Mexican hotshot Santiago Giménez at AC Milan looks an eye-catching talent. Then there’s Joshua Zirkzee, out of favour at Manchester United, or young Chelsea striker Tyrique George, whose finishing is already earning plaudits. Yet with Leeds needing to balance the books by June 30, any penny spent next month must come from player sales. Ueda or Giménez, for instance, would command hefty fees and wages, so offloading someone like Piroe could be viewed as sensible business.
That scenario won’t please Piroe, nor will it do wonders for morale among fellow fringe forwards Mateo Joseph and Largie Ramazani. A mass exodus of backup strikers might be the harsh reality if Leeds decide wholesale change is needed. After all, Leeds sit perilously just three points above the relegation zone, and there’s a very real fear that any slide into the Championship will hit their finances hard. Farke’s preference for Okafor up front sends a clear signal: current form trumps past exploits, and unless Piroe can force his way back into the manager’s plans, January might mark the end of his Elland Road adventure.
