Daniel Farke is making a huge mistake as Lucas Perri set to start vs Chelsea, it could cost Leeds United

Daniel Farke could be about to make one of the biggest mistakes of his career as he prepares to lead Leeds United into their FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea on Sunday.

The German has expertly navigated the Whites through the early rounds of the competition to set up a date at Wembley for the club’s first FA Cup semi-final since the 1986-87 season.

The West Yorkshire outfit are now potentially just two games away from an unprecedented domestic trophy, but with that in mind, there is no room for error from either the players or the manager.

Farke has been faced with a selection dilemma between Karl Darlow and Lucas Perri between the posts, with the latter having played in every round of the FA Cup so far this term.

Leeds’ hopes of reaching the final could rest heavily on the boss’ team selection under the arch on Sunday, and he appears to have already made what could be a potentially fatal error for their hopes.

Stats show Daniel Farke has got goalkeeping decision massively wrong

Perri has served as Darlow’s understudy for almost the entirety of 2026, afetr Farke opted to switch to the Welshman for Premier League games after the 4-3 defeat to Newcastle on 7 January.

However, he has stayed true to the faith he has shown to Perri in the FA Cup, and that is set to remain the case this weekend, with the Yorkshire Evening Post reporting that the Brazilian is “expected” to get the start.

That could be a decision that Farke lives to regret after the game, given that the former Lyon man has made a number of high-profile errors since his arrival at Elland Road last summer.

Darlow boasts a significantly stronger save percentage than his teammate in the league this season, while his goals prevented tally is also considerably better.

He has been a safe pair of hands for the Whites, and his calming presence has helped to inspire a huge defensive upturn in the second half of the season.

The backline are playing with confidence with Darlow behind them, and Farke could be set to jeopardise that this weekend.

His commitment to providing Perri with the opportunity is admirable, and he will be desperately hoping that it doesn’t work against him.

Leeds clear over Karl Darlow contract situation

Former Manchester United chief scout Mick Brown recently told Football Insider that Leeds are happy with Darlow’s performances and intend to keep him with his contract currently due to expire at the end of the season.

The former recruitment man has backed the Whites to hand the 35-year-old an extension, regardless of whether they ultimately opt to head into the market for another goalkeeper.

Darlow is still seen as a reliable option for the Whites at Premier League level, and he has performed well when he has been called into the starting XI at short notice in recent years.

Perri’s future has been up in the air after his struggles in the first half of the season, and it has already become clear that he will be the fall guy rather than Darlow if another option is sourced.

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