Leeds United have already lost one key player to a potentially long-term injury this week.
Daniel Farke confirmed that Ethan Ampadu has a ’50/50′ chance of returning to selection in time for the Championship run-in. While the captain will not undergo surgery to correct a cartilage problem with his knee, Ampadu is facing somewhere between four and six weeks on the sidelines before he is free to return to team training.
As such, Leeds United’s influential skipper may be fortunate to start another game before the 2024/25 campaign comes to an end.
Farke may therefore have been fearing the worst following an incident which left Mateo Joseph wincing and limping late on as a frustrated Leeds dropped two points at home to West Brom during Saturday’s early kick-off.
With Patrick Bamford absent since the clash with Blackburn Rovers on New Years’ Day, Joseph has been Farke’s only other alternative to first-choice centre-forward Joel Piroe of late.
So the former Norwich City boss is hopeful that an ankle roll the Spain Under-21 international sustained against Tony Mowbray’s Baggies is not as serious as first feared.
Daniel Farke admits Mateo Joseph injury fears after Leeds United draw
“[We have] a few concerns over Mateo,” Farke says during his post-match press conference. “He rolled his ankle a little bit. Hopefully it’s not so bad.”
Leeds United rejected a £10 million bid from Real Betis for Mateo Joseph during the winter window. Clearly, while the young striker is on just three goals from 36 appearances this term, he is extremely highly-regarded at Elland Road.
Joseph came within the width of a crossbar away from taking his tally to four against West Brom.
Picking the ball up wide on the left, he powered his way into the Baggies box before clipping the woodwork with a shot which rendered visiting goalkeeper Joe Wildsmith a helpless spectator.
That was the closest Leeds came to extending their winning run into a sixth match. Dan James also wasted a good chance in stoppage time, though Farke is keen to point out that a draw with another promotion-chasing side is far from a disaster.
Farke accepts West Brom point as unbeaten run goes on
“Sometimes you have also have to accept to learn to live with a point, and we do today,” says Farke, hoping to secure automatic promotion from England’s second tier for a third time after achieving the feat twice at Norwich City.
“Top start to the game, we played on the front foot and scored a fantastic goal [Junior Firpo opening the scoring in nine minutes]. You go and lead and the sun is shining. Perhaps we were a bit overconfident in possession.
“We lost then a bit of the control over the game, our passing was not 100 per cent focused. West Brom came back into the game, with a good header [Darnell Furlong’s 39th minute equaliser]. It was a good reaction in the second half because it is difficult once you lose momentum over the game then to gain control back.
“We played against a good side, sadly missed too many chances, sometimes the other side can score on the counter attack and you can lose such a game. In the end we wanted to but in the end you have to live with a point.”
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