Daniel Farke has provided a new injury update for his Leeds United side ahead of Friday’s trip to Sheffield Wednesday.
Leeds play the final of four games in nine days at Hillsborough, and Farke has had to rotate his squad over the last week or so to make it as fresh as possible.
Farke has announced that he will have the same team at his disposal tomorrow night, which means Jaidon Anthony will be unavailable again due to personal circumstances.
The Whites manager provided a more optimistic report on defender Pascal Struijk, indicating that he is still on track to return after the international break for the run-in.
In his pre-match press conference, Farke says he can’t believe how well Leeds have done without him, but he’s pleased to get one of the club’s ‘cornerstones’ back.
Farke sees Struijk as crucial to Leeds’ future.
He stated, “It feels a little strange that we didn’t talk about him in the last two months, but thank God we didn’t have to because our defensive behavior was spot on.” He is a cornerstone of our future.
“We play without such an important player for two months; once he returns to team training, it’s not like you can just click a button and he’ll be back to his best.
“I expect him to return to team training after the international break at the latest. Hopefully, as quickly as possible, I’ll be back in top shape.”
Struijk’s return to the side will be a significant boost for Leeds, as while they have coped admirably in his absence, there is no denying that his newly discovered leadership, set-piece skill, and ball quality have been missed.
It’s incredible to believe that Struijk hasn’t played since the Boxing Day defeat to Preston North End, when he almost single-handedly led Leeds to a point with 10 men.
Ilia Gruev has been brilliant in midfield during Struijk’s absence, but shifting Ethan Ampadu back into midfield while keeping the 24-year-old in central defence will be huge.
