Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa reveals fresh injury set-back for Adam Forshaw

FRESH PROBLEM - Leeds United midfielder Adam Forshaw has suffered another set-back in his attempt to come back from a near two-year lay-off. Pic: Getty

A September 2019 hip injury that required surgery kept him out of most of Leeds' promotion season and all of their first Premier League campaign.

He returned to play for the Under 23s late last season and although he picked up a slight niggle was able to come back for pre-season and make sufficient progress to play his first game for almost two years against Crewe Alexandra in the Carabao Cup.

A calf strain that Leeds felt was simply part of the process of getting him back to full fitness appeared to be behind him when he came off the bench to play against Fulham in the Carabao Cup in midweek.

But head coach Marcelo Bielsa revealed after today's 2-1 defeat by West Ham United that Forshaw has encountered a new problem, despite the work he has been doing to protect himself from injuries.

"He has a tear in the posterior part of his thigh," said Bielsa.

"With a muscular injury they usually consume a month's time. Forshaw makes enormous efforts not to injure himself but after two years out it is difficult to get back into the swing of things."

Bielsa was without the injured Diego Llorente, Robin Koch, Luke Ayling and Patrick Bamford at Elland Road today, while Pascal Struijk sat out the final game of his suspension.

Jack Harrison returned after a period of isolation having tested positive for Covid-19 and came on at the break to replace Daniel James.