Hammer blow with Leeds United star facing ten weeks out, pair out v Preston and midfielder also ill
Whites boss Daniel Farke has provided his latest Leeds United team news.
Leeds United have been dealt a hammer blow with a star’s season over and three others out ahead of Saturday’s Championship visit of Preston North End.
Centre-back Pascal Struijk suffered a foot injury in last weekend’s 1-1 draw at Luton Town and was quickly ruled out of both Tuesday night’s clash at Middlesbrough and the weekend’s visit of Preston.
Whites boss Daniel Farke also admitted fears that Struijk had suffered a fracture which would mean the defender’s season was done.
The Whites boss said a scan would be required to ascertain whether the centre-back could still play a part in the remaining games of United’s promotion push.
Speaking at Friday’s pre-Preston press conference, Farke revealed that Struijk had indeed suffered a fracture and that the defender’s season was now over.
The Whites boss also revealed that Dan James would miss this weekend’s visit of Preston with a hamstring injury in addition to Joe Rothwell (calf) who had already been ruled out and youngster Sam Chambers who is ill. Chambers reportedly has glandular fever.
Leeds attacker facing ‘tight race’
Farke said: “We have obviously our injured players. With Pascal Struijk, today, I can also officially confirm that the season is over for him. It's a fracture in his foot.
"Thank God, he doesn't need surgery, but he will definitely be out for about 10 weeks so he will just be ready when pre-season starts for the next season but he won't play a game during this season anymore. That's obviously bad news.
"We still have, obviously, Joe Rothwell out with an injury and also Dan James for this upcoming game out. He came out with some hamstring problems so this will rule him out definitely for the game at the weekend, and then we'll see.”
"It will be also a tight race obviously for the Easter weekend and the medical department obviously will try everything to make him available for these games but it will definitely be a tight race with him. Also Sam Chambers is not available, he's ill. And apart from this, more or less all the other players are available."
Leeds were already without Struijk and Rothwell for Tuesday night’s clash at Middlesbrough in which James suffered a hamstring injury in the second half.
The 27-year-old was eventually substituted in the 73rd minute and Farke admitted post-match that it did not look good for the Wales international.
Rothwell, meanwhile, suffered a calf injury in the build-up to last weekend’s clash at Luton for which the midfielder failed to make the matchday squad. Like Struijk, Rothwell was then ruled out of this week’s remaining two games.
Farke has already said that Rothwell will probably also miss the Easter weekend double header but with hope that the midfielder would be back for United’s final two games.