Harry Maguire sends six-word message to Dan James after new Leeds injury developments
Dan James is back in action for Leeds United after a spell on the sidelines with a hamstring injury.
Before coming on as a substitute during the 3-1 win over Nottingham Forest last Friday, the Welshman hadn’t made an appearance since the end of November.
James came on for the final 10 minutes of Leeds’ 2-2 draw with Chelsea on Tuesday evening as he continues his return to action.
He replaced Lukas Nmecha, who scored the first of two second-half goals for Daniel Farke’s side, and helped the Whites hang onto a point at Stamford Bridge.
Harry Maguire shows support to former teammate
Leeds looked destined for defeat against Chelsea on Tuesday, as Liam Rosenior’s side raced into a two-goal lead before the hour mark.
Joao Pedro opened the scoring in West London, with Cole Palmer converting a penalty to double the hosts’ advantage.
However, the Whites came roaring back, Nmecha scoring a penalty of his own before Noah Okafor grabbed the equaliser just six minutes later.
Jayden Bogle seemed to handle the ball in the build-up to Okafor’s goal, but VAR adjudged that there was no offence and allowed it to stand.
With the scores at 2-2, James entered the fray, making his second appearance in five days.
Despite a huge late chance for Palmer, Farke’s side were able to prevent Chelsea from grabbing a winner.
After the game, James shared a number of photos from the game on Instagram, with the caption: “Feels great to be back.”
Manchester United centre-back Harry Maguire, who was a teammate of James while the flying winger was still at Old Trafford, commented: “Good to see you back mate.”
Dan James can make a difference for Leeds
James’ season has been hampered by multiple injury issues, meaning he has not been able to string together a real run of games as of yet.
The 28-year-old has started just four Premier League games for Leeds this term, making eight further appearances from the bench.
However, Farke is clearly a big fan of James and revealed his delight at having the Welshman back in the squad before the game against Chelsea.
The former Man United man brings something different to the Leeds attack, and could be crucial to their survival chances in the latter stages of the season.