Leeds: Whites suffer fresh injury blow
This could be a potential setback for Daniel Farke.
Leeds United have a number of injured players at the moment and there could be a new concern at Elland Road, according to an update from reliable journalist Phil Hay.
Who is injured for Leeds?
The Whites have made a stuttering start to their Championship campaign, having arguably gone into the new season as one of the favourites to earn promotion to the Premier League, possessing plenty of quality in their squad.
On Saturday afternoon, Daniel Farke’s side could only draw 0-0 at home to local rivals Sheffield Wednesday, however, giving the Owls their first point of the season in the process. It means that Leeds only have picked up six points from their opening five league games of 2023/24, winning just once in the process, which is undoubtedly a disappointing return.
While some of the performances haven’t been good enough, the Whites do at least have the excuse of having numerous players sidelined through injury at the moment. Patrick Bamford is one of those, as he continues to struggle with fitness problems, while the likes of Sam Byram and Dan James are also absent currently alongside Liam Cooper and Stuart Dallas.
Now, a new player appears to have picked up a fresh issue, following a key claim that has emerged from a reliable source.
Is Leeds youngster Archie Gray injured?
Taking to X, Hay confirmed that Archie Gray won’t be heading off with England’s Under-19s on international duty due to a ‘minor fitness concern’.
“Archie Gray not going away with England’s U19s. Leeds United withdrawing him from the squad because of a minor fitness concern. Tyring to manage his load and make sure he’s fit for Millwall. Played in every game so far this season.”
Gray, dubbed “sensational” against Ipswich Town recently, is a hugely exciting talent at Leeds who has already become a regular at the age of just 17, already starting five Championship matches this season. In that time, he has averaged 1.4 tackles per game in the competition and has enjoyed a 93.3% pass completion rate across two EFL Cup appearances, making his presence felt in the middle of the park.
This is, therefore, a worrying update for the Whites, with the hope being that the club are just being careful, not wanting him to potentially aggravate a minor issue while on international duty. If he can rest during the upcoming break from domestic action, he will hopefully be available for his side’s next league game, which comes away to Millwall on September 17th.
Gray’s quality as a player has been outlined by former Liverpool midfielder and current Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp, who once said of him:
“Archie Gray, 15 years of age, has travelled with the Leeds squad today. He is going to be a tremendous young player, from the famous Gray family.”
To be such a regular player at just 17 years of age says so much about the teenager’s potential as a footballer, with a combined 18 caps for England at youth team level further highlighting his pedigree and ceiling, having won one, eight and nine caps for the Three Lions’ Under-15s, Under-16s and Under-18s respectively.
To see him miss a chunk of action would be another blow, but Hay’s update does suggest that the injury shouldn’t be anything too serious.
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