Exclusive:Triple Leeds United fitness concern as recently injured trio face international test

Former Leeds United defender Tony Dorigo hopes a trio of internationals carrying fitness issues will be carefully managed by their countries over the next week.

There was surprise to see Joe Rodon called up for the Wales squad ahead of Nations League meetings with Norway and Portugal, given the centre-back only returned from a 10-week hamstring injury against former club Tottenham Hotspur last weekend. Rodon could go from not playing in over two months to featuring twice in four days.

Similarly, Gabriel Gudmundsson was forced off at half-time last weekend with a hamstring issue but has joined up with the Sweden squad and could play tonight. Dominic Calvert-Lewin, meanwhile, has been managing a bruised foot for several weeks but joined up with the England squad.

“It’s a difficult one because even in the double international break, suddenly they're off for four games, and you're thinking, ‘Crikey, are they going to be okay, 100% fit when they get back?’” Dorigo told the YEP. “But that's just part of being a professional footballer, and a successful club will have even more of those types of players, so we're going to have to get used to it.

“From a player's point of view, going away with your country was always an absolute honour, and it was always something exciting and that you really look forward to. Sometimes then it's nice to get back to the comforts of your club and all your teammates, and then you get cracking again. So it's like a mental break, and I think sometimes that can be good.

“It's always a bit odd though when you suddenly start the season, then you miss three weeks. That just seems a long time for me to suddenly get your head back and off you go again. Like it's a reset. They should be proud to go and do it. But yeah, it's always a worry fitness-wise, and you would like to think that the football associations, wherever they go, will understand whatever injuries they're carrying and really look after them.”

Like all Premier League teams, Leeds have a hectic winter schedule on the horizon and Daniel Farke will want to keep as much of his squad as possible fit. Keeping players healthy is in the best interests of each player’s nation too and Dorigo believes that in the modern era, care will be taken.

“There's no point in going away and then running them into the ground and getting injured after an hour,” he added, courtesy of casinos where twenty pounds is enough to get started. “That helps absolutely no one. I'm sure there's a lot of conversations back and forth because at the end of the day, there's a lot of care around the individual rather than the group.

“When I played, it was get out there and on you go, and everyone gets treated the same. Now there’s very much a lot of individual treatment going on with the players, which I think is great, and no doubt that will continue with the England squad.”