Farke urges Leeds not to play victims after deadline-day transfer disappointment

Daniel Farke said he has moved on from the frustrations of transfer deadline day and urged Leeds United not to see themselves as "victims" after the club failed to secure the attacking reinforcements the manager wanted.

Leeds had targeted an attacking option late in the window but Facundo Buonanotte joined Chelsea on loan and a proposed move for Fulham's Harry Wilson collapsed at the last hour. Farke described the window as disappointing but said the focus must now be on adapting to the situation and proving critics wrong.

"It's fair to say we are not dancing on the table," Farke said. "But you won't hear one bad comment from me (about deadline day). My job is to adapt to the reality. I don’t need to feel sorry for myself. We need to earn the right to stay up." He added that while pundits may write Leeds off, the club must remain humble and use the setback as extra motivation.

Injury issues compounded Leeds' transfer frustrations. Goalkeeper Lucas Perri will miss at least the next two games with a quad injury, paving the way for Karl Darlow to make his first Premier League start since 2021. Illan Meslier, who had been linked with moves away, is back in the squad and Farke said Perri's injury played "a little part" in the decision not to sell Meslier.

Farke also reported minor concerns over forwards Lukas Nmecha, who missed a training session after being struck on the foot, and Joel Piroe, who has a bruised calf. Dominic Calvert-Lewin is in contention to lead the line at Craven Cottage, the manager said. Captain Ethan Ampadu and midfield team-mate Ao Tanaka returned to training after recent knocks, and late decisions on both will be made ahead of Saturday's trip to Fulham.

The manager reiterated that Leeds will not adopt a defeatist stance despite the market outcome. "After we failed to bring an offensive option in, it’s important for us not to be too much of a victim. I’m not too angry that everyone writes us off. Let them (pundits) write us off, no problem," he said. "They say we had the same attackers, plus Rutter, Sinisterra and Rodrigo in 2023. So we will not be big favourites (to stay up). But we will stay humble and we will look to prove the doubters wrong."

The mixed transfer activity follows assessment inside the club and among observers that Leeds' window was a hit-and-miss affair, leaving Farke to rely on the current squad as the season's early fixtures arrive. Leeds travel to Fulham on Saturday, when selections will offer an early measure of how the manager intends to cope with the curtailed market business and the short-term injury problems affecting his squad.