Illness complication for Leeds United loan star as Daniel Farke makes professionalism demand

The Tottenham Hotspur right-back came on loan to Elland Road on August 30, by which time Leeds had played six competitive games. A lack of match action with Spurs in pre-season meant the 23-year-old was due to be eased into Farke's team but after an impressive 10-minute substitute cameo on on September 2 he picked up an international break training injury. The knee ligament problem did not require surgery and Leeds' initial hope was that Spence would return to play inside eight weeks.

But with Saturday's game against Plymouth Argyle coming too soon for the defender, Farke explained why Spence's return will potentially take place after the November international break.

"The timeframe was always between six and eight weeks, for example, for Djed to return back into team training and then there was a question in the final stages of his rehab sadly where he had tonsillitis and also a little cold and it lasts three or four days and you have to push the rehab plan a little bit back," said the manager.

"When he has been out for seven weeks, you have to make a decision - do you really want to push him to be back into training and then to be perhaps back in the team training for just one or two days? Let's be honest, it was such a long time that if it's just one or two days back in team training he is not really a topic for the game anyway. We need to make sure we don't do anything stupid, that we go for the more conservative choice and make sure that he is back in team training at some point during the international break and due to this illness we went back to this more conservative plan and I definitely think this is right."

The knee problem has robbed Farke of an exciting addition to the options he has for the full-back positions. Veteran Luke Ayling started the season there, before having to settle for a place among the substitutes, with Farke instead turning to Jamie Shackleton and Archie Gray. Spence was named in both the EFL and PFA's Championship Team of the Season for his contribution to Nottingham Forest's successful 2021/22 promotion bid and Farke hopes to see that kind of form when the defender finally dons a Leeds shirt for a significant period of time.

But to get there, Spence will need support, total dedication to fitness work and a nudge in the right direction from his manager. "He gets all our backing and all our support, to bring him as quick and as soon as possible to his best performance level," said Farke.

"We need him right now, it was not just these eight weeks he was missing, it was also a difficult pre-season, so he has to work even more disciplined and professional than any other player to be back at his best level. I got a good feeling with him, he is a good guy, he needs a push sometimes to be on it as he has so much potential, but we don’t have to speak about his ability. He has a good heart and I hope we can bring the best out of him, although he had this little setback with his injury."