Manor Solomon alarm going off already at Leeds United after loan move from Tottenham
Manor Solomon’s mounting injury issues are setting an alarm off at Leeds United already, according to Graham Smyth.
The Yorkshire Evening Post journalist reacted on the Inside Elland Road podcast on 26 September, after Daniel Farke ruled the Tottenham loanee out of the weekend’s game against Coventry City, to suggest the concerns about his injury record on arrival are already coming to pass.
The Israeli has so far made two appearances for the Whites after missing the virtually all of last season at Spurs with a knee problem, having had another significant one the year before with Fulham.
Smyth said (30m 35s): “Manor Solomon, whose back issue has translated to a hamstring problem, there’s an alarm kind of going off already a little bit with Manor Solomon isn’t there?
“He’s already missing games through not only injury but injuries, and he’s a player who was coming off a long-term one, so that really is less than ideal, at any stage but particularly so early in the season.
“When it was flagged by all and sundry, you don’t want him to become a luxury signing who dips in and out and shows his quality, you want him to be someone who dominates this league consistently.”
Daniel Farke right to be annoyed about Leeds United transfers
Farke wasn’t happy about the failure to directly replace Georginio Rutter at number 10 before the transfer deadline after the Frenchman’s exit to Brighton [Square Ball, 2 September].
The apparent view was that the addition of Solomon on top of Largie Ramazani late in the window would help fill the gap in the central attacking midfield role by committee.
That might be okay if he is available, but if injury issues continue to crop up with regularity it will surely add to the manager’s frustrations.
At the same time it is that fitness record which has played a large part in Leeds United being able to sign the 25-year-old in the first place, and Brenden Aaronson’s return from loan at Union Berlin has so far been surprisingly positive [Square Ball, 2 September].
Although the win over Cardiff last week has addressed some of the disquiet from the defeat to Burnley there needs to be a run of positive results, and improved performances, before it will feel like everything is on track this term.
Losing players to injury early in the season won’t help calm things after a transfer window where Angus Kinnear admitted there were tensions with the manager [Square Ball, 12 September], with a fanbase who are well aware of the stakes this term after missing out on an immediate return to the Premier League.
But Ramazani scored a nice goal last week so if he can build on that as the beneficiary of space in the XI left by Solomon there could yet be a silver lining.
In other Leeds United news, Farke’s relationship with the 49ers no longer feels as secure.
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