Leeds United 10-day period will decide fate of key man with season-ending surgery a possibility

The centre-half has been out for the entire 2024 fixture programme so far with a groin problem that was initially hoped to be minor and a two-week issue. The complication has ruled out a player who featured prominently in Daniel Farke's side for the first half of the campaign.

Farke had hoped to get Struijk back in team training around about the time when the team returns from the upcoming international break but that eventuality remains far from certain and there is still a possibility that the Dutchman could miss the promotion run-in.

"With Pascal, some bad news, the progress needed to return to training was not possible so far," said Farke on Friday afternoon ahead of Sunday's clash with Millwall. "It's a bit of a complicated situation with him. To sum it up, he's got a fibrocartilage injury and there are always two ways to treat it, either you go for surgery or you go more or less the conservative route and injection therapy. The doctors recommended [injection therapy], they were hopeful it would be beneficial for him and hopeful we could get him back on the other side of the international break. The cartlidge has some healing, it has progressed but the last five per cent is missing. The next 10 days will be decisive to say either we have him back for the run-in or we have to go for surgery and then he's out for the season. At least then we'd have him back for pre-season."

Farke admits the situation has been a tricky one for Leeds and the player himself to navigate. "A bit complicated, difficult to judge which is the best way [to treat it]," said Farke. "Difficult for Pascal, he's been out for such a long time. The last progress he has to make in the next days. At the moment he's not back in team training."

Farke does have some positive news for Sunday's Elland Road game, however, with the return to contention of ex-Millwall loanee Jamie Shackleton and winger Jaidon Anthony. Shackleton has recovered from a concussion and Anthony is back with the squad after missing action following the funeral of his mother. "Some good news, both Jamie and Jaidon are back in team training, both availabile for this weekend," said Farke.

Meanwhile Stuart Dallas [femoral fracture] is approaching the two-year anniversary of the injury he sustained against Manchester City in the Premier League, from which he is yet to recover.