Fresh Leeds United injury list and return date info as striker pictured at local kickaround

Leeds United’s 2021/22 campaign was blighted by injuries to several important first-team players.

This year, head coach Jesse Marsch hopes to reduce the number of occasions in which members of his squad break down either in training or during matches.

Here is a full list of Leeds United players currently out of action and when they can be expected to return.

Patrick Bamford (groin) is thought to have trained this week, despite coming off in the first half of Leeds’ 2-2 draw against Southampton last weekend.

At full-time on the south coast, Jesse Marsch stated he did not believe Bamford’s issue was a serious one and that he expected him to make a return to training this week.

A return date is unclear but his involvement with the main group at Thorp Arch this week should mean he is at least available from the bench this weekend.

"Patrick, I think is not bad,” Marsch stated. “He had felt a little tightness in his adductor. And so I've challenged him to be honest with us on exactly where he stands with things and he felt like he wasn't 100%, so he didn't want to stress it and he made the right decision I think to come off.”

Joe Gelhardt (dead leg) is another striker who has spent a brief period on the sidelines since the start of this season.

The young forward sat out last weekend’s draw with a dead leg, although has since been pictured having a kickabout with local children at a Premier League Kicks event.

Marsch stated he felt Gelhardt would be fit to train this week, as well as Bamford, suggesting the pair could be available this Sunday.

"Joffy was a little bit injured this week,” Marsch said. “And with a lot of games coming up, we just wanted to make sure that we manage him the right way.”

Junior Firpo (knee) is expected to miss the next couple of weeks through injury but could be back by early September, according to Marsch’s own estimate.

The Spaniard missed United’s pre-season tour of Australia in mid-July with an injury initially thought to keep him out for eight weeks.

Before last weekend’s game against Southampton, Marsch said: "Junior’s probably a couple of weeks behind [Forshaw and Cooper].”

Club captain Liam Cooper has had a delayed start to the 2022/23 campaign due to a troublesome Achilles injury which he appeared to have overcome last week.

"Liam, we decided he picked up a little bit of something yesterday and so we decided not to include him in the squad today but we're hopeful that he will be back soon,” Marsch said on his captain at St Mary’s Stadium last Saturday,

The extent of Cooper’s new issue remains unknown, and is unclear whether it is a recurrence of the Achilles problem picked up during the off-season.

It is safe to assume that without a full pre-season, he is unlikely to be selected from the start against Chelsea on Sunday.

Stuart Dallas (femoral fracture) is expected back in the New Year, although Marsch did reveal the Northern Irishman had re-entered light, individual training.

"Stuart has made really good progress and has had a couple of check-ups after the severe surgery, and they feel like he’s right on track,” he said on August 4.

"Stuart Dallas, I saw on the pitch today, moving around a little bit. So that was, that was an exciting moment for us,” the American added a week later, before clarifying: “I think it's much too early to start talking about the prognosis and a timetable for Stuart.”

As for Luke Ayling (knee surgery), the defender is nearing a return although like teammate Firpo may be a couple of weeks from featuring with the first-team again.

"He had a visit to his surgeon down in London," Marsch told reporters last week. “The surgeon said that he's ahead of schedule and looking really good. He just needs a little bit more time."

An initial recovery timeline for Ayling was between two and four months after undergoing surgery in May. The 30-year-old is approaching the four-month mark now, therefore Marsch’s ‘ahead of schedule’ comment suggests he is not far away at all.