According to Daniel Farke, a Leeds United player suffered a rare injury recently and was unable to join the team on the coach during the week. Despite this setback, Leeds experienced their first defeat of 2024 against Chelsea in the FA Cup on Wednesday.
However, there were commendable performances from teenagers Archie Gray and Mateo Joseph, who stood out in a revised lineup. Joseph impressed with two goals while Gray excelled in his preferred midfield position, earning the Player of the Match award.
With the focus now shifting solely to the Championship, Leeds faces a busy schedule over the next seven days, starting with a match against Huddersfield Town followed by games against Stoke City and Sheffield Wednesday.
Unfortunately, there are new injury concerns within the team, adding to the list of long-term absentees such as Pascal Struijk and Stuart Dallas. Notable players absent from the defeat against Chelsea included Georginio Rutter and Ilia Gruev, who were nursing minor injuries. Another absentee was Joe Gelhardt, who seems to have also suffered an injury.
In a post-match press conference reported by Leeds Live, Farke revealed that Gelhardt had experienced a back spasm during training, a rare occurrence happening only once or twice a year.
Despite training the following day, Gelhardt was unable to travel with the team due to the injury. Despite the odds, Farke expressed confidence in the team’s ability to overcome challenges, as demonstrated in their performance against Chelsea.
Gelhardt, aged 21, has made 11 appearances in all competitions this season, bringing his total appearances for Leeds to 52. Although most of his appearances have been as a substitute, he had a memorable moment in 2022 when he scored a late winning goal against Norwich City in the Premier League, earning praise from Jamie Carragher. Farke has also praised Gelhardt’s talents.
If Gelhardt misses out on Saturday’s match, it could provide an opportunity for Joseph to further establish himself in the team, especially following his impressive performance against Chelsea.
