Key Points

• Leeds United will be without left‑wing‑back Gabriel Gudmundsson for their Premier League fixture against Tottenham Hotspur at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Monday, 11 May 2026.
• Forward Noah Okafor is also unavailable for the Spurs clash after picking up a calf injury in the FA Cup semi‑final loss to Chelsea.
• Manager Daniel Farke has ruled both players out for at least the next two matches, with Gudmundsson sidelined by a hamstring strain and Okafor expected to be out for 7–10 days.
• Centre‑back Jaka Bijol is mentioned as a minor doubt with a hip flexor issue, adding to Leeds’ defensive concerns for the trip south.
• Leeds’ absence of Gudmundsson and Okafor leaves a gap on the left flank, with Wilfried Gnonto and other options likely to be considered in their places.
• The match arrives at a crucial stage of the season, with both clubs jockeying for position in the Premier League table and Tottenham embroiled in a relegation battle.

Leeds United (The Leeds Times) May 8, 2026, will be without two of their key attacking figures for their trip to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Monday night, as manager Daniel Farke confirmed that left‑wing‑back Gabriel Gudmundsson and winger Noah Okafor will both miss the Premier League clash against Spurs. Farke has also indicated there is a question mark over third‑team regular Jaka Bijol, whose availability adds an extra layer of uncertainty to Leeds’ selection ahead of the game.

Why are Gudmundsson and Okafor missing?

The absences stem from injuries picked up in the FA Cup semi‑final defeat to Chelsea at Wembley, where Leeds were eliminated from the competition.

As reported by Daniel Farke in his pre‑Burnley press conference, Gudmundsson suffered a “serious” hamstring strain in the closing stages of the semi‑final, prompting Farke to say the defender would “definitely miss” the visit of Burnley on Friday and “likely miss” the following fixture at Tottenham.

Farke later reiterated the two‑match‑absence timeline on Leeds United’s official channels, confirming that Gudmundsson would be unavailable for the next two games, with hope only that he might return for one of the final two fixtures of the season.

The club’s social‑media update quoted Farke saying:

“We’ll have to play the next two games without Gudmundsson,”

underlining the severity of the hamstring issue.

Noah Okafor’s absence was also flagged around the same time. Coverage in the Yorkshire press and fantasy‑football outlets reported that Okafor had taken a knock to his calf in the semi‑final, leaving his availability for the Burnley match as a “question mark” ahead of assessment. However, Leeds’ own social‑media update later clarified that Okafor would be out for 7–10 days, effectively ruling him out of both the Burnley and Tottenham fixtures.

Who else is under a fitness cloud?

Alongside the clear absences of Gudmundsson and Okafor, Farke has also named Jaka Bijol as a doubt. As reported by Yorkshire⁃Evening Post–linked coverage summarised by OneFootball, Bijol is dealing with a hip flexor issue, and Farke stopped short of guaranteeing his fitness for the Burnley match.

An update via Leeds’ in‑house channels later noted that Bijol had been able to confirm his availability for the Burnley game through social‑media imagery, but the club’s cautious wording around the Spurs clash left room for further fitness checks.

The hamstring and calf injuries to Gudmundsson and Okafor, plus Bijol’s hip problem, come at a particularly sensitive time for Leeds, as they approach the final run of the season.

Farke has emphasised the need to protect players and manage workloads, noting that the club would try to bring Gudmundsson back as quickly as possible but would not risk rushing him back.

How have different outlets framed the team news impact?

Coverage of the absences has been picked up by several outlets, each emphasising the knock‑on effects for Leeds’ left‑side options.

As summarised by OneFootball, Leeds will be without Gudmundsson for the Burnley and Tottenham fixtures, with doubts over Okafor and Bijol, and the piece notes that Ilia Gruev is also out for the rest of the campaign with a meniscus injury, compounding the squad’s midfield and defensive constraints.

Local and national‑level sports coverage, including pieces from the Yorkshire Evening Post–linked reports cited by OneFootball, describe Gudmundsson’s hamstring problem as “a bit of a serious injury,” with Farke explicitly stating that the left‑back would miss at least the next two games.

These reports also highlight that Okafor’s calf issue was significant enough to cast doubt over his participation in the Burnley match, even before the club’s later confirmation that he would be out for 7–10 days.

Fantasy football and injury‑tracking services, such as RotoWire, have echoed the “doubt” status for Okafor, underscoring that his availability was not certain until further assessment, with manager Daniel Farke refusing to rule him out outright for the Burnley fixture.

Elsewhere, outlets like MOT Leeds and Leeds Allover have flagged the broader fitness picture, noting that Leeds are contending with several injury and suspension concerns as they head into the final stretch.

How might Leeds reshuffle without Gudmundsson and Okafor?

With Gudmundsson out, Leeds will need to cover the left‑wing‑back role that he has occupied for much of the season.

As reported by Leeds‑focused outlets, Wilfried Gnonto is among the candidates likely to be considered if Okafor is unavailable, while other wide and attacking options may be rotated to plug the gap on the left flank. Sean Longstaff has also been flagged as a potential starter in the Spurs match after a run of limited appearances, with MOT Leeds’ coverage noting that his performance in the reverse fixture could force Farke’s hand to restore him to the XI.

On the defensive side, the potential absence of Bijol, even if only as a late‑stage doubt, adds pressure on Leeds’ central‑defence options. Coverage of Farke’s comments suggests the manager will assess the centre‑back over the next few days, but the club’s flexibility is reduced by the season‑long meniscus issue affecting Gruev, who is expected to be fit again only for pre‑season.

Tottenham’s own injury‑update coverage, as reported by outlets such as the Standard and London‑based football sites, has noted that Leeds’ losses of Gudmundsson and Okafor could hand Spurs a notable advantage in a relegation‑sensitive fixture.

These pieces emphasise that the absence of a fit‑and‑firing left‑sided duo may weaken Leeds’ threat down that flank, particularly given Tottenham’s need to lift points to improve their league position.

Background to this development

The injuries to Gudmundsson, Okafor, and Bijol have emerged in the context of a gruelling end to the season for Leeds, which has included a deep FA Cup run culminating in the semi‑final loss to Chelsea. The Wembley tie placed extra physical demands on Leeds’ squad, and Farke has spoken publicly about the risk of fatigue and soft‑tissue strains as the calendar compacts.

Gudmundsson had already served a suspension earlier in the campaign, missing a home fixture against Brentford due to a red‑card‑related ban, which temporarily moved him out of the starting XI and affected the team’s left‑side balance. His return and subsequent hamstring injury, however, mean that Leeds have now endured a stretch without their regular left‑wing‑back, forcing Farke to reshuffle the back line and wing‑back options.

Okafor’s calf knock compounds the issue, as he has been a frequent starter and rotation option in wide and attacking roles. Fantasy‑and‑injury trackers have consistently highlighted his importance for Leeds in both league and cup fixtures, underlining that his absence removes a key source of pace and creativity on the left.

Prediction: How this development could affect stakeholders

The absence of Gabriel Gudmundsson and Noah Okafor, plus the lingering doubt over Jaka Bijol, is likely to affect several groups tied to Leeds United and Tottenham Hotspur. For Leeds’ supporters, the loss of a fit‑and‑firing left‑sided duo may reduce the sense of attacking balance and width that has underpinned some of the club’s more convincing performances this season. The potential need to reshuffle the back line and midfield could also test the squad’s depth, especially if further injuries emerge in the remaining fixtures.

Fantasy football managers who own Gudmundsson, Okafor or Gnonto may need to adjust their line‑ups, as the injury‑induced rotation increases the risk of unused substitutes or under‑performing replacements. For Tottenham’s coaching staff and fans, Leeds’ weakened left‑side options could open up more opportunities to exploit that flank, particularly if Spurs opt to push their right‑side players higher up the pitch. Any increase in attacking output from Spurs in the game may therefore be indirectly influenced by the absence of Leeds’ usual left‑flank pairing.