Leeds United are suffering a bid of an injury crisis with Daniel Farke’s small squad left ravaged by the growing injury list ahead of Friday’s clash against Sunderland.
Ilia Gruev’s injury on Tuesday night means there are seven players currently sidelined with issues. Diogo Monteiro confirmed he has undergone shoulder surgery after coming off in the 21’s win at Tottenham.
Ethan Ampadu has been ruled out until the new year, while Max Wober has undergone an operation on his knee. Manor Solomon, Dan James and Isaac Schmidt are also currently nursing injuries right now.
The busy schedule which sees Leeds play a third game in six days on Friday at the Stadium of Light, is in view already. Daniel Farke’s men take on a Sunderland side with just two senior options in midfield.
That is, if Ilia Gruev cannot return in time. Farke said he will wait for a scan on the injury suffered by Gruev this evening, while also addressing whether there are any players out on loan that Leeds could recall.
Daniel Farke responds when asked if could recall Darko Gyabi
Leeds currently have five players out on loan. Jack Harrison and Rasmus Kristensen had clauses that saw Victor Orta’s loan relegation clause valid for another year, and they joined Everton and Frankfurt.
Meanwhile, Sam Greenwood and Sonny Perkins have joined Preston and Leyton Orient while £5m Leeds signing Gyabi has returned to Wayne Rooney’s Plymouth on loan until the end of the 2024-25 season.
Asked if he could recall Gyabi and whether he is keeping an eye on the Plymouth star, Farke said that he would rather focus on the players he currently has at Elland Road rather than look to bring Gyabi back.
“Obviously, we have a look [monitoring Darko’s loan spell]. But overall I don’t want to speak about players we have loaned out, I just want to concentrate on the players and the group we have here right now.
“I don’t want to comment too much, our fingers our crossed for Darko and he has a great season for his development. But we focus on the players here,” Farke responded, when asked about recalling Gyabi.
Wayne Rooney has been impressed by Leeds talent Darko Gyabi
Gyabi might not have had much realistic first-team opportunities since joining Leeds from Man City back in the summer of 2022, but he has certainly caught the eye in the green if Plymouth this season.
Indeed, his current boss Rooney has been impressed. Gyabi recently played a key role in Plymouth’s huge 3-1 win over Luton, creating a goal. Rooney told the Herald: “He drove forwards, a real attribute of his.”
But even if it was January where loans can be cancelled or players can be recalled, it seems unlikely that Farke would consider Gyabi over bringing in Wales talent Charlie Crew if he needed another midfielder.
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