Paul Robinson expects Pascal Struijk to resume his Leeds United defensive partnership with Joe Rodon once he recovers from injury.
The Dutchman has developed as a crucial player under Daniel Farke this season, usually wearing the captain’s armband until being ruled out with a groin condition that has kept him idle since the end of December, despite recovering quickly from a prior hernia injury.
In his place, Ethan Ampadu, a summer transfer from Chelsea, has slid back from midfield to play with international teammate Rodon at centre-back, and the Whites’ form has been superb since.
Robinson believes Farke has such fantastic choices to work with in a strong team, and it is a “dream” that will “never happen” for them all to be available at the same time, so Struijk is likely to return to the starting lineup sooner rather than later at the back.
He exclusively told MOT Leeds News: “Whether he puts [Ilia] Gruev or [Glen] Kamara in there, or maintains Archie Gray at right-back or moves him into midfield, Struijk’s return provides the manager so many different choices in terms of squad strength and depth.
“We all speak about the Championship, how tough the schedule is, and how many games there are. From now until the end of the season, each of these players will be used in a variety of positions.
“For the manager to have everyone fit at the same time is virtually a dream, and it may never happen. But with Struijk back in there, I don’t think it’ll be long until you see him and Rodon working together again.”
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Farke may believe he can’t lose when it comes to selecting his central defense and midfield pairs, given Ampadu’s absence hasn’t resulted in a decline in quality in either group, with Gruev stepping in to maintain standards.
It is tough to mend something that isn’t broken, thus the manager may not want to instantly reinstate Struijk into the starting lineup while he is on such a winning streak since the beginning of 2024.
However, if any of his existing players are injured, suspended, or require rest, he will be aware that he has another exceptional option ready to step in.
