Karl Darlow ruled out for 7 weeks as Pascal Struijk, Sam Byram and Joe Gelhardt to miss Leeds United clash v Peterborough
Leeds United will be without four players for the FA Cup clash with Peterborough this weekend, with Karl Darlow ruled out for up to seven weeks.
Darlow suffered a dislocated thumb before the defeat to West Brom but played anyway, before missing the win over Birmingham but will now miss the best part of two months with the injury.
Pascal Struijk will also miss the game with an adductor problem and is also a doubt for the Championship clash with Cardiff next week, while Sam Byram and Joe Gelhardt will miss the game with Peterborough with hamstring and glute injuries respectively but Daniel Farke is hopeful they will return to training during the week.
“Sam [Byram] will definitely miss this game. He has a little strain in his hamstring,” he said, as quoted by Leeds-Live (5 January). “I hope he will be available for Cardiff.
“Pascal [Struijk] will definitely miss this game and he’s a doubt for the Cardiff game. Joe Gelhardt has a glute injury and will definitely miss this game.
“We have had a concrete diagnosis on Karl Darlow and he will be out for seven weeks. He’s a fighter and perhaps he will come back a little earlier.”
Farke the added later in the press conference that Liam Cooper has a muscle injury and it will be a “tight call” for if he is available to play in the game.
Blow
This was supposed to be the big chance for Darlow to make his case to become the Leeds number one with Illan Meslier suspended for three games, but he’s missed the boat now.
Instead it becomes the chance for Kristoffer Klaesson to stake a claim to be the number two at Elland Road going forward, with a second consecutive game for the youngster before Meslier returns to his ban.
As for Byram and Gelhardt it’s a shame for them that they won’t be able to play in this game as they could do with the game time, while for Struijk it’s probably best that he is given the chance to rest for this game.
He has played incredibly regularly and a small break after hernia issues this season could be ideal, and will also hand an opportunity to the likes of Charlie Cresswell to get a game.
But overall it’s a fairly positive injury update from the boss and a win over Peterborough will keep morale at the club high and give the manager decisions to make before Cardiff.
In other Leeds news, Farke bins player at Elland road as behind-the-scenes confrontation seen as last straw.