After a tough, brutal weekend in the Premier League, there are now Leeds injury worries to deal with before their EFL Cup tie tomorrow
The Whites left it late before claiming a point on Saturday. As they faced Wolves in Round Nine of the league, South Korean forward Hwang Hee-chan scored first for the Birmingham side.
Marcelo Bielsa’s men were rescued by a teenage substitute in the dying moments of stoppage time. The 19-year-old Joe Gelhardt was fouled in the penalty area as forward Rodrigo cooly dispatched the penalty.
They managed to claim the draw without some of their star players such as Kalvin Phillips, Junior Firpo, Luke Ayling, and Patrick Bamford. With the team preparing for a cup match midweek, the club will be looking for some positive news on the injury table.
Kalvin Phillips
Phillips has missed out on Premier League duty since their win over Watford earlier this month. The Leeds manager announced that the midfielder is not yet up to full match fitness.
He appeared on the bench against Wolves but was given no minutes. This midweek fixture may be the perfect time for Phillips to find his footing.
Robin Koch
The German defender has been plagued with injuries, barely appearing this season and becoming a mainstay on the Leeds injury table. After getting surgery on his hip, he has seen himself on the recovery table since the opening weekend.
Bielsa told the media that Koch will need another month of rehab before he can begin playing football again.
Luke Ayling
Ayling also required surgery last month due to a knock in their draw with Newcastle. Now the English right-back is has been recovering well but Bielsa says he will miss out on at least another week of football.
Patrick Bamford
Bamford’s knock, also against Newcastle, has been one of Leeds’ biggest worries this year. The manager confirmed that he will miss the tie against Arsenal but could return in time for the weekend game against Norwich.
Junior Firpo
This summer’s headline signing from Barcelona was struck down by a muscular injury recently. He only missed out on a week of fixtures and is likely to return to the pitch in time for the tie against Norwich on Halloween.
Raphinha
The Brazilian winger is Leeds’ biggest problem of late. On a struggling side, the tricky dribbler has been a bright spark while also shining for his national side.
A rough challenge by Roman Saiss before the hour-mark at the weekend forced the player off the pitch. Many fans were left outraged that the Wolves defender was not shown a red card for the tackle but now their focus will return to Raphinha’s recovery.
Bielsa was unable to give an update on the injury after the game but the player said on social media:
“So I’m back soon. Thank you all for the messages and concern of all.”
Leeds United’s next match will be their EFL Cup fixture against Arsenal. The match will kick off tomorrow, 26th October at 19:45 in the Emirates Stadium.
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