Leeds United injury news: Charlie Cresswell may be done for the season at Millwall as Gary Rowett reveals ‘strange’ situation
Gary Rowett believes Leeds United youngster Charlie Cresswell’s season may be over amid a “strange” injury update at Millwall.
The 20-year-old defender suffered a fractured eye socket playing for the Lions against West Brom on 1 April, and the manager at The Den had been waiting to hear from Elland Road whether he would have to have an operation.
But after blurred vision for the centre-back and a medical update that puts him out for the same amount of time whether he has surgery or not, his first full season in senior football may be cut short.
Rowett told South London Press (7 April): “It’s a strange one. I spoke to the medical team yesterday and they said if he has to have an operation it is going to be six weeks from the injury, or five weeks from the operation. If he has a mask then it is six weeks from the injury.
“So I said: ‘Well, it’s the same answer – so why didn’t you tell me that in the first place? It would’ve been a lot easier!
“Cressy, I think he has had blurred vision. If that doesn’t change in the next few days then he is probably going to have to have an operation.
“Without me putting too much of a full stop on it, that’s probably the best part of the season done for Cressy.”
Unfortunate
The Leeds United loanee has done an admirable job in South London to battle back from a stop-start first half of the season that saw him drop out of the side after starting stretches of games twice.
Since the close of the January transfer window where he was subject of a potential recall to Elland Road he has been ever-present in Rowett’s starting XI.
His style of play and general outlook make the facial fracture little surprise, but it is still a serious matter and if the medical outlook is the same whether or not he is fitted for a mask to play in there is no benefit in not displaying extra caution.
He will presumably return to West Yorkshire with his reputation boosted and the club will have a decision to make if interested clubs come calling.
Liam Cooper’s time as Whites captain may not go on for too much longer and Cresswell is seen by some as the man in waiting for the Scotland international’s place.
But after a break-out year in the Championship the current Millwall man may be unsatisfied with the back-up role Cooper currently occupies, so it could be that he heads elsewhere again once he has recovered from the injury, whether permanently or on another loan.
In other Leeds United news, a big-money transfer decision has been made at Elland Road ahead of the summer.