Leeds United are in action in the Championship for the 42nd time in the 2023/24 campaign as they play host to Sunderland at Elland Road this evening.
The Whites can take advantage of Ipswich Town not playing until Wednesday – against Watford – to move back into the automatic promotion places with a win.
Daniel Farke's side are one point outside the top two, having played the same number of games as the Tractor Boys, but would have already been there had they not been beaten by Coventry City on Saturday.
Leeds travelled to the CBS Arena knowing that they could move above Ipswich after the Suffolk-based outfit lost 1-0 to Norwich in the early kick-off, but lost 2-1 to Mark Robins' team thanks to goals from Ellis Simms and Haji Wright.
There were a number of below-bar performers on the day who Farke may now consider dropping to the bench against the Black Cats, including creative maestro Georginio Rutter.
The France U21 international has been a joy to watch this season but his display against Coventry could see him ditched, which would open the door for the boss to bring Wilfried Gnonto in from the start.
Georginio Rutter's season in numbers
The former Hoffenheim starlet has been an outstanding creator at the top end of the pitch in the Championship so far this term, which is why his performance on Saturday was disappointing.
Rutter currently ranks within the top 2% of forwards in the division for shot-creating actions (4.42), the top 2% for Expected Assisted Goals (0.32), and the top 2% for assists (0.43) per 90.
This shows that he has been one of the best forwards in the league at creating high-quality opportunities for his teammates to find the back of the net.
He also tops the Leeds squad for 'big chances' created (22), Expected Assists (10.18), and assists (15) in the Championship, which further illustrates how impressive the mercurial whiz has been in possession for the club.
His finishing, however, does need work as the French gem has only scored six goals from an xG (Expected Goals) of 11.84 in the second tier.
Rutter's sensational creativity has, for the most part, made up for his wasteful finishing this season, but that was not the case against Coventry on Saturday as his all-round display left a lot to be desired.
Georginio Rutter's performance against Coventry in numbers
The left-footed maestro looked off the pace at the CBS Arena as he gave the ball away far too much and did not create anything of note for his side in the process.
Rutter lost possession a staggering 25 times in 90 minutes and only created 0.06 xA from his one key pass, whilst also failing to register a single shot on target.
Minutes played
90
Shots on target
0
Key passes
1
Big chances created
0
xA
0.06
Possession lost
25x
As you can see in the table above, the Leeds star was far from at his best at the weekend with his startling lack of impact at the top end of the pitch.
It was a wasteful performance from the French dynamo and one that could now see him lose his place in the starting XI for this clash with Sunderland this evening.
Farke is blessed with some fantastic attacking talent in his squad and this means that there are plenty of options to pick from to replace Rutter in the lineup.
Joel Piroe came off the bench against Coventry to score and Mateo Joseph has also emerged as a first-team option this season, but Gnonto is the player who should be unleashed from the start in a central position.
Why Wilfried Gnonto should be unleashed
U23 scout Antonio Mango once claimed that the Italian ace has the pace to "terrify" defenders and that is what he could do to the Sunderland defence tonight.
The Black Cats defenders, who have let in five against Blackburn Rovers and four against Southampton within their last five matches, could fear Gnonto's speed, agility, and quality in central areas.
He has spent the majority of this season playing out on the right flank but the young gem has played more games as a second striker in his career than in any other position, which shows that he can be deployed in the role behind Patrick Bamford or Joseph.
Therefore, Fake must provide Gnonto with an opportunity to showcase his quality through the middle, with Dan James and Crysencio Summerville on either side of him, in place of Rutter.
The 20-year-old dynamo, who was hailed as "explosive" in nature by the aforementioned Mango, has the ability to provide a big goal threat at the top end of the pitch.
Leeds do not have any alternative options to provide as much creativity as Rutter but Gnonto could make up for that with his fantastic ball striking and finishing skills.
Appearances
31
Starts
15
Goals
7
Big chances missed
3
Minutes per goal
190
As you can see in the table above, the young talent has almost averaged a goal every other start from a wide position in the Championship so far this season.
The most impressive part of his seven-goal tally is that it has come from an xG of just 4.33. This shows that his finishing has been fantastic as the forward has more than made the most of the chances that have been created for him by his teammates.
In fact, no Leeds player has outperformed their xG by more than Gnonto (2.67) and this suggests that he has been the best finisher in the squad this term.
These statistics speak to the clinical nature of the Italy U21 international and that is why he should be unleashed from the start against Sunderland this evening.
He has the ability to be ruthless in front of goal whilst also having the athleticism and pace to 'terrify' the Black Cats defenders and cause constant problems in the final third.
It is now down to Farke to brutally ditch Rutter from the starting XI after his poor showing against Coventry, to make room for the £9k-per-week starlet to start through the middle.
