The Whites wizard could miss the club’s next match against Watford due to injury.
Leeds United secured their place at the top of the Championship table on Sunday, defeating Millwall 2-0 at Elland Road.
The Whites jumped ahead of their rivals at the summit by taking advantage of Leicester City’s absence from second-tier competition after losing to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the FA Cup.
Wilfried Gnonto and Dan James scored goals either side of half-time to seal the win for the Yorkshire-based team, who went into the international break in top place.
Daniel Farke’s squad is currently competing for automatic promotion to the Premier League, allowing them to return to the top tier for the first time.
Georginio Rutter, who assisted both goals against Millwall, has been a crucial player at the top of the pitch for the Whites, but he may be unavailable after the international break.
Latest Leeds United injury news.
Shortly after Sunday’s victory, Leeds issued a statement confirming that the France U21 international would not be joining his country this week.
The offensive midfielder was scheduled to play for Les Bleus during the international break, but he will remain in England to undergo surgery for a hernia.
According to their statement, the former Hoffenheim star has been playing with a hernia in recent weeks, which they have had to handle cautiously, but this break has finally given them an opportunity to get it fixed.
Rutter will now have a’minor surgery’ to address the issue, and the great attacker will be able to return to action ten days later.
The news was confirmed on Monday, and presuming the surgery was performed on the same day, the French star would be back in training on Wednesday or Thursday next week.
That could jeopardize his participation in Leeds’ match against Watford, which is scheduled for Friday next week and may come too soon for him.
The club’s statement did add that, if all goes well, he will be ‘in contention’ to face Watford and Hull in the Easter matches. However, at this stage, it is unclear whether the Whites star will be eligible for selection or fit enough to start.
While his absence, whether from the squad or the starting lineup, would be a setback for Farke, it would also provide the manager the opportunity to finally unleash Mateo Joseph from the start in the Championship.
Why Farke should unleash Mateo Joseph from the start
The former England U20 international, who is presently away with Spain at U21 level, is not a creative maestro like Rutter, but Leeds lack a comparable alternative for the French gem in their team.
However, Joseph is a forward with the ability to make things happen in the final third and may delegate the most of the creative effort to Crysencio Summerville and Gnonto on the wings, leaving him and Patrick Bamford to focus on completing opportunities in and around the penalty box.
The former Espanyol teenager impressed Leeds at youth level, scoring 19 goals and assisting three times in 33 games across all competitions.
During the 2022/23 season, the Spanish-born striker scored 17 goals in 24 games for the U21s, including 16 in 21 Premier League 2 appearances.
Farke has included him in his first-team roster this season, but the 5 foot 11 striker has only made 13 Championship appearances as a substitute, with no goals or assists to show for his efforts thus far.
His performance in the FA Cup versus Chelsea, after his selection as a starter against the Premier League side at Stamford Bridge, demonstrated that he has the ability to have a significant impression at the top end of the pitch at senior level.
| Vs Chelsea | Mateo Joseph | Joel Piroe |
|---|---|---|
| Minutes played | 90 | 79 |
| Shots | 3 | 2 |
| Goals | 2 | 0 |
| Key passes | 2 | 1 |
| Assists | 0 | 0 |
| Pass accuracy | 81% | 76% |
| Stats via Sofascore | ||
As shown in the table above, Joseph stood out with two goals – a clinical one-on-one finish and a back post header – and two chances generated for his teammates, whereas Joel Piroe did not make an impact on the game.
Therefore, Farke must finally release the 20-year-old sensation, who was described as “dynamite” inside the box by U23 scout Antonio Mango, for the first time in the Championship if Rutter is not fit enough to start against Watford due to surgery.
Georginio Rutter’s Championship Statistics
The 21-year-old wizard has been in terrific form during the 2023/24 season, proving himself to be an outstanding performer at Championship level.
He has six goals and 15 assists in 37 league appearances for the Whites, averaging more than one goal every other match.
The left-footed dynamo has assisted more goals than any other player in the division, with former Leeds left-back Leif Davis in second with 14 for Ipswich Town, and only Abdul Fatawu (25) has created more ‘big opportunities’ than Rutter (22) thus far.
| 23/24 Championship | Georginio Rutter | Squad rank |
|---|---|---|
| Assists | 15 | 1st |
| Big chances created | 22 | 1st |
| Expected Assists | 10.06 | 1st |
| Key passes per game | 2.2 | 2nd |
| Stats via Sofascore | ||
As shown in the table above, the youthful wiz has been Farke’s most creative force in the final third this season, creating high-quality opportunities for his teammates.
Piroe, who has 11 league goals this season, and Joseph, who might replace Rutter if he is injured, do not have the same amount of creativity but could compensate with their goalscoring abilities.
This is why the head coach must unleash the Spain U21 international, who will ideally have his breakout performance in the Championship with his first start in the division, to soften the impact of maybe losing the French star.
