Leeds United leader maps out route to success at Manchester United despite injury crisis
A sudden injury pile-up will not stop Leeds United from battling for all three points at Old Trafford on Monday.
Leeds United vice-captain Pascal Struijk has identified the three pillars to success at Manchester United on Monday.
Struijk and his Leeds teammates head to Old Trafford early next week amid a fresh injury crisis. Anton Stach and Joe Rodon are expected to be sidelined until May with ankle ligament injuries while Daniel James is out and Gabriel Gudmundsson, Jaka Bijol and Noah Okafor are all doubts.
Leeds have the momentum of an FA Cup quarter-final victory over West Ham behind them but face arguably their toughest remaining game of the season, with Manchester United fighting for Champions League football. And vice-skipper Struijk had laid out what’s needed to leave Old Trafford with a result.
“We have to show great team spirit, quality on the ball and very good solid defensive behaviour,” he told Premier League Productions. “They have individual quality so it will be a very tough challenge for us.
“But I think it will be a good challenge and not something that we shy away from because all the away games have been tough this season. They have been positive for us so far or a learning curve, which we hope to take all of the experience into this game and then win.”
Daniel Farke was not feeling sorry for himself after announcing the latest injury pile-up on Thursday, instead seeing an opportunity for those on the fringes to make an impact. The Leeds boss highlighted good training weeks for the likes of Ao Tanaka, Willy Gnonto and forgotten loan man Facundo Buonanotte.
Pascal Struijk on having Daniel Farke’s trust
But with Stach and Rodon - two great leaders through the spine of his team - both absent, Farke will need even more from other senior figures in the squad. Captain Ethan Ampadu will lead his side out at Old Trafford but long-time servant Struijk will play a key role in keeping things tight.
“For me he [Farke] has been great ever since he came in and has given me a lot of confidence,” the Dutchman added. “He trusts me to play and he entrusted me to be the vice-captain of the team.
“I am very happy with everything he has done for me so far and with the team. I think he has done great things, promotion and now this season in the Premier League, where hopefully we can finish on a high.
“I am very much an optimist because I always go into games thinking that we can win, thinking that we can play better. I hope to bring all of this with me into the end of the season and hopefully we can end the season on a high.”