Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch has claimed that Willy Gnonto could be in the starting XI for the Whites' upcoming Premier League match against Manchester City.
The Lowdown: Leeds back in action
Following the conclusion of the recent World Cup in Qatar, the 2022/23 Premier League campaign is set to resume in the coming days.
Leeds have a tough task ahead of them as they welcome Pep Guardiola's reigning champions to Elland Road on Wednesday night.
Looking ahead to that match, Marsch has dropped a hint regarding the possibility of one player in particular being in line for a start against City.
The Latest: Marsch drops Gnonto hint
Speaking in his latest press conference (via Leeds Live), Marsch was asked if Gnonto could feature against the Citizens.
The Leeds manager replied: "Yeah, for sure. I think a lot of our players that maybe, if we had our full squad available, wouldn't have gotten as much sort of preparation game time in the last few games have performed well, and I think Willy's certainly one of those.
"So that's good to see and I think yes, he absolutely becomes an option to start against Man City."
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The Verdict: An exciting opportunity
Having only started in one of his three league appearances this season, the opportunity to start against City in front of the Elland Road crowd would surely be a very exciting prospect for Gnonto.
In terms of what the 19-year-old would be able to offer Leeds, the teenager currently has the highest rate of goal-creating actions per 90 minutes in Marsch's squad (1.65), which suggests that he could well have what it takes to hurt City defensively.
With Phil Hay highlighting the "magic" that Gnonto produced for Leeds during their recent friendly matches, it will be interesting to see if the teenager is able to produce something similar against one of the best teams in the league. That's if Marsch gives the youngster the chance to do so.