Leeds United: Ilia Gruev may be risked v Watford as teammate ‘absolutely gutted’ to miss out
Ilia Gruev could be risked by Daniel Farke despite not being fully fit as Leeds United return to Championship action for a crucial period with the trip to Watford, says Phil Hay.
Speaking on The Square Ball on 29 March the Athletic journalist suggested that the Bulgarian might be one out of a group of players carrying injury issues who might be asked to push through given the title is in sight, with the likes of Willy Gnonto, Connor Roberts and Georginio Rutter also less than 100% but still in contention.
But Hay is convinced that players will want to be involved just as much as the manager wants to be able to utilise them, and suggested that Pascal Struijk, ruled out until the end of the season after “complicated” surgery [Yorkshire Evening Post, 27 March], will be “absolutely gutted” to miss out.
Hay said (14m 15s): “Gnonto has a slight hamstring injury, Gruev has this ankle problem, there’s a muscular problem for Connor Roberts as well, Rutter is coming back from hernia surgery but is training again and has a chance, so none of them ruled out.
“I think we’re very near the point of a season now where coaches and players start to gamble on injuries. I always get the sense more and more now that coaches generally don’t like to be seen to taking big risks on players who aren’t fully fit. It looks desperate and a little bit like, not that you’re a one man team, but there are players you can’t do without and you’re pushing it to extremes.
“But I think at this point with somebody like Gruev that is possibly one of those where you start to say, ‘Look, can you go play through this, can you stick around?’ Because games are in single figures, the finishing line is getting really close now, and players will want to play.
“Struijk will be absolutely gutted that he’s not going to be involved in this.”
Daniel Farke to rely Leeds United midfielder at Vicarage Road?
Farke has been far from immune from having to deal with injuries this term at Elland Road but in comparison to recent seasons the situation hasn’t developed into a crisis in quite the same way.
For the German to have been able to get some solid production out of Patrick Bamford probably tells its own story on how the fortunes have been improved, relatively speaking.
Struijk’s groin problem was undoubtedly a major blow, with the defender having been captaining the side up until Boxing Day, but the options in the squad have seen the Whites arguably improve since.
Gruev’s emergence came almost as a direct result of Struijk’s issue as he slotted in after Ethan Ampadu was pushed back into defence, and the former Werder Bremen player became the fourth new midfielder this year to thrive.
Anyone who isn’t carrying anything particularly serious likely will want to push through at this stage of the season, although those with worrying long-term history of set-backs would be excused for showing extra reticence.
For Struijk he has already done his bit for what looks likely to be a successful promotion campaign, not that it will make him feel much better, but those who are still involved will want to see it through.
In other Leeds United news, one Whites player admits there are “big decisions” to be made on his future in light of his current contract situation.
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