Leeds United suffered a significant blow when Ethan Ampadu was injured midway through the match against Coventry City on September 28. The player’s absence is odd for Joe Rodon, who is used to playing with the midfielder for club and country.
The Yorkshire side dodged a significant setback, as Ampadu’s injury turned out to be to his lateral collateral ligament (LCL) rather than the more severe anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), which could have sidelined him for the entire 2024-25 season.
Ampadu is expected to be out for the rest of the year, with reports suggesting a possible return in early 2025. Leeds will have to cope without their captain for now, and Ao Tanaka stepped up in his absence, making his first start for the club in last Tuesday’s match against Norwich City.
Joe Rodon comments on Ethan Ampadu’s injury
Since arriving at Leeds just over a year ago, Ampadu and Rodon have been nearly inseparable on the field, becoming key players in a growing Welsh presence in West Yorkshire. They spent much of last season as defensive partners, so Ampadu’s absence has certainly been felt within the national team camp.
“It’s weird because over the last year and a half I’ve been with Ethan every step of the way,” Rodon told The Independent. “It’s a lot quieter not having him here but I’m sure, the strong person he is, that he will recover quite quickly.
“He is the anchor of the team, the protection. He sniffs out danger and sees things that others don’t see. He’s got tremendous ability with both feet, the way he plays the ball. He’s stepped into that leader role quite well and everyone knows what type of character he is.
“He’s going to be a massive loss but we have a squad and, with the coaching staff we have, everyone knows their jobs. If one misses out, another steps in.”
It will be interesting to see how Leeds and Wales handle the loss of Ampadu, especially the Whites since they’re opting not to sign a free agent and plan to cover that loss from within their squad.
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