Leeds United boss Javi Gracia reveals fitness latest on trio and opens up on Tyler Adams situation

Gracia’s men suffered a second lopsided beating in as many games with Monday’s 6-1 humiliation by Liverpool at Elland Road. Patrick Bamford was missing from the squad, with Rodrigo starting up front supported by Brenden Aaronson and although Wober returned to the team sheet after his spell out with a hamstring injury, he remained an unused substitute.

The head coach has revealed that the Austrian international, who slotted straight into the team after his January arrival from RB Salzburg and became one of Leeds’ most consistent performers, had not trained sufficiently to start on Monday night. But his fitness is improving.

"What I can say about Max, as everybody knows when he was available he played as a centre-back playing with Robin in the middle and he had very good performances,” said the Spaniard.

"He was injured the last two weeks, for the last game he was available but he only trained one or two days and I think now he's in a better condition to help the team. We'll decide about the players for the next game.”

Bamford’s involvement at Craven Cottage will depend on his recovery from the calf issue that kept him out against the Reds.

“We have to wait until the end [of the week] - he is training but in this moment I don't know if he will be ready,” added Gracia.

As for Willy Gnonto, who is yet to start since picking up an ankle injury on international duty with Italy, Gracia admits he was initially protecting the teenager but now he’s fully fit and available. Gnonto missed the Arsenal game, sat on the bench for the win over Nottingham Forest and came on for a combined 43 minutes in the defeats by Crystal Palace and Liverpool.

“Gnonto is ready,” said Gracia.

"He had a little issue, he had some problems but now he’s ready. He’s training from the last weeks and in the beginning when he came back, it’s true I tried to protect him a little bit but now he’s ready and available.”

Leeds’ long-term injury victims are Stuart Dallas, whose Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill has suggested is an outside bet for the June internationals, and Tyler Adams. The latter went under the knife for a hamstring problem in March and his involvement in the remainder of the campaign is still up in the air.

“He is working hard, the medical staff is working very well but we need time to know if he will be ready or not,” said Gracia.

"I don’t know. If I told you something I would be lying.”

The Spaniard readily admits that Adams’ loss is keenly felt, particularly given his options in that position, but he has belief in the players available to him in the midfield area.

“He’s a player who plays in a position where we don’t have many other options,” said Gracia.

"Now in the first team squad we have Adam Forshaw, now he is ready, he was injured a long time but it is an absence in an important position. We have young players to play there as well, very good players, but all of you know we don’t have the solution for that. We have to work with the players we have and believe, as I do, that they are very good players and the best players to play in this ending to the season.”