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Leeds United must not rush Rodrigo injury return despite purple patch
Rodrigo has been one of the Premier League’s top performers so far this season so it is typical Leeds United luck for him to get injured.
The Spaniard scored four goals in three matches to see the Whites start the 2022-23 campaign like a house on fire with seven points from three games but a draw at home to Everton and defeat against Brighton have seen the Whites slip to seventh in the Premier League.
And now their star performer of the season so far is set to miss a handy amount of games after being forced off with a shoulder injury against the Toffees in midweek.
“An update on Rodrigo – when it pops out, it’s about as good a case scenario as possible,” Marsch said on Thursday, as quoted by Leeds Live.
“That means that it doesn’t need surgery and that hopefully in three to four weeks it can calm down. Maybe it takes a little bit longer, maybe it’s a little bit shorter.
“We will see. He feels good, he feels confident that he will be ready fairly soon so we’re kind of targeting after the international break.”
There will be a huge temptation for Marsch to bring Rodrigo back ahead of schedule if the side’s form starts to dip without his presence in the side but he must refrain from those thoughts at all costs.
Leeds United have seen under Marcelo Bielsa how rushing players back from injury only ever ends in an even longer time on the sidelines and they have to learn from that.
Patrick Bamford is back in the fold now to take up the mantel up front and deadline day signing Wilfried Gnonto adds another option to the attack along with Joe Gelhardt and Sam Greenwood.
Rodrigo just needs to rest and recover now and put football on the back-burner until he is ready to go again in a month’s time.
In other Leeds United news, the reason for Cody Gakpo’s collapsed Elland Road move has been revealed.