Ethan Ampadu has now been out of action for 10 weeks but his return to injury for Leeds United is not too far away.
Ampadu suffered knee ligament damage in Leeds‘ 3-0 win over Coventry City back in September and has been out of action ever since.
This is the first time Ampadu has been unavailable for Leeds since his £7 million move from Chelsea back in July and despite Ao Tanaka and Joe Rothwell’s excellent form, he has been missed.
Leeds’ poor away record during Ampadu‘s absence should make Farke‘s decision easy once he is fully fit, as well as the fact he is club captain.
Farke’s most recent update on Ampadu‘s fitness was that his return wasn’t too far away, and a new update has been shared in his latest press conference.
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Farke shares major Ampadu Leeds injury update
Leeds return to Championship action against Derby County this weekend and a full week on the training pitch has been hugely beneficial to Ampadu.
That is because according to Farke, Amapdu has been back with the team over the course of this week, significantly ‘ahead of schedule’.
Farke isn’t usually one to throw players returning from injury straight back into the side but has hinted he will make an exception with Ampadu.
The Leeds boss once again reiterated Ampadu is Leeds’ ‘most important’ player and is ‘tempted’ to put him back in the side earlier than perhaps he should.
He said: “Some good news with Ethan Ampadu, he’s back in training now. Ilia Gruev’s rehab looks well. It would perhaps free up one of our other midfield players to use in a higher role. All is connected.
“It’s definitely good that he’s a bit 2-3 weeks ahead of schedule, already back in full team training. Testament to good work and professionalism. We still be a bit careful but Ethan’s for us and for me, not a normal player.
“He’s our captain and our most important player in the whole squad. Tempted to bring him back earlier. If we use him in the upcoming games, we’ll see. Gut feeling of myself and late decisions, depends who’s available.”
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Which game could Ampadu target to return?
While Farke has said himself he wants to bring Ampadu back earlier than first planned, he will also need to be slightly careful.
Given he is the most important, Leeds won’t want to lose him for another significant period of time which is always the risk after a long-term lay-off.
As such, the most realistic date of his return looks like it could be next weekend’s trip to Preston North End.
A more optimistic one could even be Tuesday’s clash with Middlesbrough at Elland Road, where his defensive solidity in midfield would be very useful.
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