Pundit Sounds Alarm on Leeds’ Long-Term Challenges Following Recent Developments

Ampadu will be sidelined for the remainder of 2024, with early January anticipated for his return.

Meanwhile, Gruev has no established timeline for rejoining the starting lineup, as both players are managing knee injuries.

Consequently, Leeds is likely to proceed with caution, knowing that rushing their return could exacerbate their conditions.

Recently, manager Daniel Farke discussed the team’s strategy regarding the potential signing of a free agent to bolster the midfield and outlined the conditions necessary for such a move.

“To be honest, I’m not a strong advocate for making signings in October, but we’ll see,” Farke stated.

“First, we will wait a bit and hope for a positive outcome from Ilia’s scan. If the diagnosis is alarming and he faces an extended absence, then we will certainly consider it.

However, I can’t confirm that we would necessarily make a move; otherwise, it would just be a waste of money and energy.”

Concerns over Leeds’ midfield depth have been raised by pundits.

In a recent episode of BBC’s 72+ Podcast, Jobi McAnuff voiced his worries about Leeds’ midfield, highlighting it as a significant issue for Farke.

He expressed curiosity about how the team would cope without Ampadu and Gruev.

“Absolutely, especially in the midfield area, which is clearly his preferred position and where he has returned this season.

With Gruev also exiting early in the match, this becomes a major concern for Leeds United,” McAnuff remarked.

“Given that they’ve already lost Kamara and Archie Gray in the summer, that’s likely the one area in the squad where, if they were to lose one or two more players, they would be severely stretched.

It will be very interesting to see how this situation unfolds in the coming weeks.”