Good Morning. It's Wednesday 16th September, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road...
Palace missing key men for Leeds trip
Crystal Palace have a lengthy injury and suspension list ahead of Sunday’s trip to Elland Road. The Eagles sit 16th with one win from four games and share the worst defensive record in the Premier League. Odd results happen, but a visit to an in-form Leeds side sitting third is not on their wish list. Daniel Farke’s side are unbeaten after four games, a run capped by Monday’s 4-1 win over Newcastle. They appear to have come through that physical contest without any fresh injury problems; that 's more than we can say about Crystal Palace.Chadi Riad suffered an ACL tear after returning from a year-long absence in the opener against Everton and is expected to miss the rest of the season. Jean-Philippe Mateta picked up a hamstring injury in training at the end of August and is not expected back until after the international break. Goalkeeper Dean Henderson has a foot injury that kept him out of last weekend’s defeat to Ipswich and is unlikely to feature. Axel Disasi is suspended after a red card for violent conduct in the same game.
Former Leeds loanee Eddie Nketiah missed the Ipswich match after failing a late fitness test but could return this weekend. Ismaila Sarr is hoping to make the bench for his first appearance of the season as he works his way back from a groin problem. Daniel Farke has no new injury concerns. Joe Rodon remains the main casualty so far after his hamstring injury. Mateo Joseph is a long-term absentee with a knee problem, while Ilia Gruev is still working his way back after a lengthy lay-off.
Calvert-Lewin leading the way
Leeds have scored seven Premier League goals in four unbeaten games. Six of those have come from open play or set-piece involvement by their own players; the other was Lewis Miley’s own goal against Newcastle. The offensive numbers show a clear first wave of contributors, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin leading the way. Four starts, 331 minutes, two goals and one assist, the 29yo leads the side for shots (2.5 per game) and is the only regular attacker with a meaningful offside count (1.3), which is what you want from a No.9 pinning a back line. Rating: 7.08.Jayden Bogle has matched him for goals (two) from right wing-back. He is fouled more than anyone listed (2.0 per game), a sign he is carrying the ball into dangerous areas. Fewer shots than Calvert-Lewin, but a higher WhoScored rating (7.24) because the end product has been efficient. Anton Stach is the surprise third name on the scoring chart. A midfielder with 358 minutes, one goal, and the best key-pass rate in the group (1.3 per game). His 7.38 rating is the highest on the list. He is winning fouls (1.8) and getting on the end of things rather than just sitting in front of the defence.
Noah Okafor has one goal from 227 minutes (three starts, one sub). The standout number is dribbles: 1.5 per game, comfortably the highest among the regulars. When he is on the pitch he is the one trying to break lines. Rating: 7.03. Those four players account for all six of Leeds’ own league goals. Ao Tanaka has one assist in 190 minutes and a solid 7.07 rating. Low volume, tidy: one shot and one dribble per game, almost no waste. Ethan Ampadu has played every minute (360) and offers the least attacking output of the regulars, 0.5 shots, 0.8 key passes, which fits his role as the holding piece. Rating 6.95 is respectable for a destroyer asked to do little going forward.
Brenden Aaronson (174 minutes) and Harry Wilson (146 minutes) have not scored or assisted. Aaronson’s rating (6.12) is the lowest of anyone with significant time; he is being fouled (1.5) but losing the ball (0.8 dispossessed, 1.5 unsuccessful touches). Wilson’s key-pass rate (1.0) is decent for a rotation attacker, but the shot volume is tiny. Daniel James has only 29 minutes. The sample is too small to mean much, though three shots per game in that cameo explains why he is used as an impact runner. Gabriel Gudmundsson has two appearances and 162 minutes with almost no attacking numbers attached. He is there for width and balance, not chance creation.
Leeds are not spraying chances around. Calvert-Lewin is the shot leader; Stach is the passer from midfield; Bogle and Okafor supply the wide threat and ball-carrying. Everyone else is either protecting the structure (Ampadu), or still waiting for a run of starts (Aaronson, Wilson, James). That matches the eye test from the first four games: a compact 3-5-2 / 3-4-3 that gets numbers forward through specific players rather than a free-scoring front line. Against a Palace side that has already conceded 11 goals, those four main contributors are the ones most likely to decide Sunday.
If we play to our strengths we win this 
, but we have all been around long enough to know things don't always go as you hoped they would 
