What games Ethan Ampadu will miss for Leeds United after crushing injury news
Leeds United’s celebrations on Monday were dampened amid concerns surrounding Ethan Ampadu.
Leeds overcame Everton 1-0 on their return to the Premier League.
However, captain Ampadu was forced off the pitch for Leeds United after 78 minutes due to a heavy blow.
Now, in the build-up to the Peacocks’ match against Arsenal, Daniel Farke has addressed the injury situation regarding the 24-year-old.
Ethan Ampadu out until the international break
After Ampadu’s great performance against Everton, the defensive midfielder will no doubt be a big miss.
Despite all of Leeds’ recent signings, the 24-year-old is still a crucial member of the squad and would have likely remained in the starting XI for the Arsenal clash.
Now, Farke has confirmed that Ampadu will be out of action until at least the international break in his press conference on 21 August.
He said: “Bad news, he will be out at least until the international break. He’s a tough boy. He will miss the next three games, including the cup game.
“Not ideal. He’s our captain. Very important player. We will have to find some solutions.”
| Games Ethan Ampadu is set to miss for Leeds | Date |
| Arsenal vs Leeds United | 23 August |
| Sheffield Wednesday vs Leeds United | 26 August |
| Leeds United vs Newcastle United | 30 August |
This will see Ampadu miss the Arsenal match on Saturday as well as Leeds’ clash against Newcastle the following weekend.
On top of this, the 24-year-old will be sidelined for the Yorkshire derby match against Sheffield Wednesday in the Carabao Cup.
However, Ampadu could then return for the Fulham away day on 13 September.
Sean Longstaff to get first Leeds United start vs Arsenal?
Given the injury news, Sean Longstaff is likely to be first in line to replace Ampadu in the starting lineup.
Longstaff was signed by Leeds from Newcastle this summer and came off the bench on Monday for his competitive debut.
According to Fbref on 21 August, the Englishman actually has better defensive stats in some areas than Ampadu, which could help nullify Arsenal on the weekend.
| Stats per 90 minus last 365 days | Sean Longstaff | Ethan Ampadu |
| Tackles | 3.05 | 1.80 |
| Interceptions | 0.89 | 0.94 |
| Blocks | 1.90 | 0.98 |
| Clearances | 0.89 | 3.46 |
| Aerial duels won | 0.89 | 2.35 |
On top of this, Longstaff may want to prove himself against his former club Newcastle the following gameweek.
Therefore, the 27-year-old’s addition to the starting XI could well work in Farke’s favour.
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