Ilia Gruev injury latest as Leeds make announcement pre-Newcastle

Ilia Gruev has taken a huge step towards making his Leeds United first-team return.

The 26-year-old midfielder has been a long-term injury absentee for Leeds.

He's not kicked a competitive ball in anger for Daniel Farke since 18 April against Wolves.

Gruev has been suffering from a meniscus knee injury, and has been slowly building back his fitness recently.

Up until now, it's been somewhat unclear to Leeds supporters just how close the Bulgarian international is to being match fit.

However, that question has gone a long way to being answered on Sunday.

What Leeds game is Ilia Gruev involved in on Sunday?

Sunday afternoon sees Leeds' Under-21s take on Middlesbrough in a 12pm kick-off in Premier League 2.

The Whites are taking on Boro in the North East at Heritage Park, as Scott Gardner's side go in search of their second win of the season.

Surprisingly, Gruev has been named in the Leeds U-21 starting XI for this game.

This of course means he won't start for Leeds against Newcastle on Monday night in the Premier League, but it shows he's almost ready now.

Depending on how many minutes he gets today, Gruev could still be named in the matchday squad for the visit of the Magpies tomorrow.

So, how can Leeds fans watch Gruev's return from injury on Sunday with the U-21's?

Leeds to know far more about Gruev's condition after Sunday

Gruev may well be starting for Leeds' U-21's this afternoon, but it's not yet clear how much time he'll be afforded on the pitch.

It's safe to presume he won't play the full 90 minutes, as he didn't get a pre-season either.

But he should at least get the opening 45 minutes to bank some much-needed minutes in the tank, and show to Farke where he's at fitness-wise.

It's likely that he'll still require a few more weeks before he's truly ready to handle the intensity of a Premier League starting role once again.

As a result, there will now no doubt be many Leeds fans altering their Sunday plans to follow Gruev's progress in this one.

For those wanting to see how he gets on, supporters can watch the match live so long as they're subscribed to LUTV.

Indeed, Gruev is the only first-team player involved for the U-21s today.