Leeds United loanee Yosuke Ideguchi returns from knee surgery - does a permanent move to Germany beckon?

Yosuke Ideguchi has made his comeback from knee surgery ahead of a potential full-time switch from Leeds United to Germany.
Yosuke Ideguchi on a rare Leeds United outing during a pre-season friendly at York City.Yosuke Ideguchi on a rare Leeds United outing during a pre-season friendly at York City.
Yosuke Ideguchi on a rare Leeds United outing during a pre-season friendly at York City.

The Japan international appeared as a substitute for loan side Greuther Furth in a 4-0 defeat to Cologne on Monday night, his first appearance since rupturing a knee ligament in September.

Ideguchi was little over a month into a season-long loan with the Bundesliga 2 club when he was hurt in a clash with Dynamo Dresden and forced to undergo an operation.

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Most of his rehabilitation took place in Japan but he returned to Greuther Furth after Christmas and was finally able to take to the field in the defeat to Cologne having spent a series of games on the bench.

Leeds paid £500,000 to sign Ideguchi from Gamba Osaka in January of last year but his career at Elland Road already appears to be at an end without him playing once for United’s first team.

The midfielder was among the players allowed to leave after Marcelo Bielsa appointment as head coach and has no place in the club’s future plans.

Greuther Furth hold an option to sign Ideguchi permanently this summer and could move to exercise it after seeing him regain full fitness.