Leeds United's injury prevention game plan versus Norwich City and Sunderland and Daniel Farke reluctance revealed

Leeds are down to just two available senior centre-backs after it was revealed Ethan Ampadu sustained a serious knee injury against Coventry City and will be out for 10 weeks, in addition to Max Wober undergoing surgery on a meniscus problem.

The Austrian will sit out the next month-and-a-half, leaving Leeds to 'adapt' at centre-half according to Farke, putting pressure on incumbent duo Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk to remain fit.

Vice-captain Struijk reported an adductor issue last week and subsequently missed training in the lead up to United's 3-0 win over the Sky Blues, in which he played 90 minutes. After the match, Farke admitted he'd have preferred to have given Struijk a chance to rest but Ampadu's injury during the first half no longer made that possible.

"I would have preferred to give Pascal a bit of a break but with the workload it was not too much and I spoke with him already and he came through really well. No new problems," he said.

In reserve, Leeds also have youngster James Debayo available to them but the U21s centre-back who spent pre-season with Farke's senior group, is yet to make his professional debut and therefore deemed a risk should he be required to play at any stage during Wober and Ampadu's absence.

Farke recognised this when discussing his defensive options, adding: "It's a tricky period. To bring a youngster [James Debayo, 19] in who has never started a game is a bit difficult. Ethan would be the first choice to move back but with his injury it was not possible. We have to adapt and find some good solutions."

One such solution, Farke says, is to be dominant in games as that allows the central defenders to face the way they're playing instead of chasing balls in behind, putting their bodies under greater strain making recovery run after recovery run to retrieve possession from an opponent in their own half.

"Once you're so dominant it's not too much running for the centre-backs, I think they can handle the workload," Farke said.

That is easier said than done against the next pair of opponents, though, with high-scoring Norwich and second-place Sunderland to come in the space of three days this week. The Canaries average 53.5 per cent possession this season, which is greater than most teams in the league, while the Black Cats are likely to let ball-dominant Leeds see plenty of it given they average the third-least possession in 2024/25. That's not to say Leeds' centre-backs will have an easy ride on Wearside as the counter-attacks Sunderland launch are also likely to command significant physical exertion from Struijk, Rodon and co.

Should Leeds make it through their two upcoming fixtures without further injury to central defenders, the international break should provide some respite, at least for Struijk, ahead of an early season crunch match when Sheffield United visit Elland Road on the 18th of this month.