Leeds United sit fifth in the Championship table after a stuttered start to their season following the chaos that unfolded in the summer transfer window.
Daniel Farke and his side have the sole ambition of gaining promotion back to the Premier League this term, and in order to do so, they’ll be hoping to avoid further injuries.
The treatment table at Thorp Arch has been pretty busy over the last few months, and still, five players remain sidelined, though two of them have been deemed available for selection by the German boss ahead of the away trip to his former side Norwich City this weekend.
Football FanCast keeps you up to date with all the latest Leeds news, involving injuries and suspensions.
What is the latest Leeds injury news?
Ahead of Leeds’ clash against Norwich City on Saturday, Farke has confirmed that Wilfried Gnonto and Jamie Shackleton are available for selection.
Meanwhile, Djed Spence and Junior Firpo are both nearing a return to action and could be available for their side’s trip to Leicester City on Friday 3rd November.
Farke has avoided putting a timeframe on Stuart Dallas’ return given the extent of his injury, but he has joined parts of training in recent weeks.
Player Name | Injury | Date Injured | Expected return date |
|---|---|---|---|
Wilfried Gnonto | Ankle | 20th September | 21st October |
Jamie Shackleton | Shoulder | 7th October | 21st October |
Djed Spence | Knee | September (training) | 3rd November |
Junior Firpo | Knee | July | 3rd November |
Stuart Dallas | Leg | 30th April 2022 | Unknown |
Wilfried Gnonto
Gnonto was subject to multiple bids from Everton in the summer and made his desire to leave Elland Road clear by handing in a written transfer request.
The 19-year-old refused to play and missed three games in August before later apologising to Farke, who awarded the youngster a second chance. Since then, Gnonto has been reintegrated into the squad and was impressing fans up until his recent injury.
The Italian winger was forced off in Leeds’ goalless draw at Hull City on 20th September and underwent surgery shortly after.
Farke confirmed three days later, that Gnonto had sustained damage to his ligament: “Yes, he’s done his ligament, he also needs a little surgery but not because of the ligament, but because there’s so little bone that has to be cleaned, so he will be out I guess till the next international break.
“It’s obviously a blow for us, but it happens in football, injuries happen and we hope to have him back as quick as possible.”
Speaking ahead of Leeds’ trip to Carrow Road on Saturday, Farke was able to provide a more positive injury update on Gnonto’s condition: “Willy is back in team training since last Sunday, so no problems so far. Obviously, he hasn’t played for a while, can’t be considered 100 per cent, but he looked sharp in training and is definitely a topic for the squad to travel with us and definitely is available for the game, which is definitely good news.
Jamie Shackleton
The Leeds academy graduate has enjoyed a marvellous start to the campaign and was becoming a fixture of Farke’s side before suffering an injury.
Shackleton missed Leeds’ successive home wins against Queens Park Rangers and Bristol City due to a shoulder problem.
Speaking prior to the Bristol City game, Farke said: “Jamie will certainly miss the game, the shoulder is too painful, we need some further assessment. I hope he’s available on the other side of the international break. It’s definitely bad news.”
The German manager was able to provide a positive injury update on the 24-year-old’s fitness in Thursday’s presser: “Jamie Shackleton back in team training since the beginning of this week, also much improved with his shoulder, also a topic for the squad to travel with us.”
Djed Spence
Summer arrival Djed Spence joined the Whites on loan from Tottenham Hotspur. However, having played just nine minutes in a goalless draw against Sheffield Wednesday in September, the loanee hasn’t played since due to a knee injury.
The club released an update on Spence’s injury on 18th September, which read: “Leeds United defender Djed Spence picked up a knee injury following a challenge in training last week, and following scans, we can confirm he has damaged his lateral collateral ligament.
“The injury is not expected to require surgery and we expect Djed to return to play within eight weeks. We wish Djed a speedy recovery.”
Farke was able to deliver more encouraging news for Leeds fans on Thursday, as he gave a timescale on the full-back’s return: “He is doing his rehab here. Also normal progress, but it will also last a couple of weeks until he’s back in team training.
He’s not too far away, he’s already training on the pitch, but not with the team, so I expect him to be out for a couple of weeks.”
Junior Firpo
Junior Firpo is yet to feature this term after being sidelined due to a knee injury that he suffered leading up to the opening game against Cardiff City.
The former Barcelona left-back is still recovering after sustaining torn lateral ligaments in his knee, but could be in line to make his return at the start of November.
Speaking on Thursday, Farke confirmed that Firpo was able to join training earlier this week and had a full session on Wednesday, but after such a long layoff, he stressed that they need to be careful not to rush him back.
Stuart Dallas
Farke also delivered an update on Stuart Dallas’ return as he continues to recover from the femoral fracture he sustained against Manchester City in April 2022.
“With Stuart Dallas, he was out for such a long time. He’s also part-integrated. He joins us in several parts of the team training, sometimes he has to just train individually or to recover a bit more.
“We want to have him back in full team training and then he needs three or four full weeks until we can choose him. It will definitely last a while until we can have him back in contention.”
Who is suspended for Leeds?
Leeds don’t currently have anyone serving a suspension, although Ethan Ampadu is beginning to walk a fine line, having picked up three bookings this season.
Players who collect five yellow cards in the opening 19 matches of the campaign must serve a one-game suspension. The threshold then increases to 10 bookings in the first 37 games.
A suspension for collecting too many yellow cards can only be served in the Championship – not the FA or EFL Cup.
