Leeds United player back from injury to team training as boss issues star forward injury update

Junior Firpo, Stuart Dallas and Djed Spence remained Farke’s only injuries for Wednesday night’s clash at Stoke City in which the Whites fell to a 1-0 defeat. Crysencio Summerville was one of three players to drop to the bench for the match against the Potters, Farke revealing that the winger was playing with painkillers and a strapped shoulder after recent small injuries.

Farke, though, speaking at Friday’s pre-match press conference, provided a positive update on Summerville and said the winger was not a doubt for this weekend’s game whilst also revealing that Firpo had returned to team training.

"No, it's not a big problem," said Farke of Summerville. "He has [been] struggling with this since since a few weeks, shoulder injuries before each and every training session, each and every game, has to strap it, it's improving like normal a shoulder injury, it always lasts a while until you don't feel the pain anymore, but he's ready for the training sessions, also ready for the game so not a big problem.

"It was also not the only reason why he was not in the starting line-up in the last game, I’ve spoke before he missed big parts of pre-season also, we have to keep in mind that especially in the recent season, he was not so much involved, not a regular starter, is also a bit of an injury CV and then he had also during the season already one muscle injury. Then in addition to that, he is also struggling with the shoulder, in the last game he was there with cramps against Norwich, that was reason all together that he was not in the starting line-up [vs Stoke].

"Yes, he is actually at the moment in an outstanding form and [Norwich] was a brilliant performance. We don't have to talk about this, how much I like him and rate him and I spoke about my appreciation for him after the last game when he was in the starting XI, Norwich, about this but we also have to keep in mind we need him during the whole season and we can't risk him to be out for a long term injury because we're doing something stupid. Once players have a difficult period due to some injuries or missing parts of pre-season, then we have to be careful. I'm quite sure that in a few weeks, he will be also ready to play three games within seven days. But right now after his difficult start to the season, we just have to be careful but I don't think he's doubtful [this weekend]."

Asked if he thought he would have the same 20 players that he had for the midweek trip to Stoke, Farke reasoned: " Yes, we'll see. So there was a few knocks and hits after the game and once you have such a quick turnaround you have to make some late decisions but at least no major injuries [is] what I can confirm. So I think that more or less all the players are available."

Farke also provided updates on the continuing recoveries of Firpo, Dallas and Spence.

"Junior is back in team training," revealed Farke. "Stuart at the moment is doing some individual training, Djed’s also in the last stages of his rehab. I hope both of them Stuart and Djed can return back to team training pretty soon and then Djed was also only for about eight weeks, it’s not like the first day back in team training he’s available for the games, he also would need definitely a little bit of training, but I hope that's pretty soon, in the next days, perhaps 10 days, 14 days, he'll return back to team training. But he hasn't joined us yet."