Last week, Daniel Farke confirmed that Ethan Ampadu faces a race against time as the Leeds United captain looks to return from a knee injury in time for the Championship run-in.
Now, for most clubs in England’s second tier, losing your skipper at this stage of the season – with promotion on the line – would be a nightmare even Freddy Krueger himself would think twice about forcing upon an unsuspecting victim.
Though, with Joe Rodon and the returning Pascal Struijk to call upon, Ethan Ampadu’s potentially season-ending injury – Daniel Farke expects him to be out for four to six weeks at best – is not so much a car crash capable of totalling Leeds United’s season, but more a pothole to test the strength of those axels.
The Wales international has been absent from Farke’s starting line-up 16 times this season. Leeds have won nine of lose while losing only two. With Rodon and Struijk at centre-half and with Ao Tanaka, Ilya Gruev and Joe Rothwell competing for a spot in the midfield, as important as Ampadu may be – on and off the pitch – he is not irreplaceable.
Over in Spain, however, a very different narrative is developing regarding a former Leeds United centre-back.
Former Leeds United man Diego Llorente inspires Betis to Real Madrid win
A £2.5 million acquisition from Elland Road last summer, Diego Llorente was maybe expected to be a squad player and little more after returning to La Liga with Real Betis.
Especially once Los Verdiblancos also brought in the younger, more long-term addition that was Natan on loan from Italian giants Napoli.
But, as Real Betis sunk a dagger into the heart of Real Madrid’s title ambitions at the Estadio Benito Villamarin, Natan was back in his familiar position on the substitute’s bench as Diego Llorente kept Kylian Mbappe quiet while capping a twelfth successive La Liga start in some style.
Much of the pre-match discussion centred upon Antony. And not only because the Manchester United loanee had his red card controversially rescinded in the build-up. Antony has become something of an unexpected posterboy for Spanish football since his arrival, a flurry of goals and playing with the sort of confidence sucked out of him at Old Trafford.
But as Real Betis dragged Madrid down to third, while snapping Mbappe’s fearsome run in the final third, it was another player who arrived in Andalusia desperate to rebuild his reputation after a damaging spell in England who set the tone.
“An impossible wall to break down,” was the description El Pespunte used for Llorente’s ‘you shall not pass’ performance, the Balrog of Madrid tumbling into the fiery depths.
“What a display of power from Diego. He didn’t lose a single duel and was impeccable in bringing the ball out. His second half was absolutely outstanding,” they add, Llorente earning himself a 9/10 rating for his efforts.
“Madrid, who could only send long balls behind the Betis centre-backs, crashed again and again against Diego Llorente. What a great player.”
Llorente tipped for Spain recall after Elland Road exit
One of the major criticisms, during Llorente’s ill-fated spell at Elland Road, was that the Spain international simply lacked the pace or the physicality required to succeed in English football.
It is no coincidence, then, almost a year after Diego Llorente completed his £2.5 million Spanish homecoming last summer, a return to familiar surroundings has sparked a dramatic improvement in a man who was so highly rated at Real Sociedad prior to joining Leeds under Marcelo Bielsa.
In games like Saturday’s against Real Madrid, where Betis could afford to defend deep for fear of Mbappe making one of his devastating runs off the shoulder, Llorente’s weaknesses were shielded and his strengths elevated.
Yet, to say Llorente simply raised his game for the occasion would be unfair.
As Diario de Sevilla explain, Llorente’s improvement – particularly with the ball at his feet – has been apparent long since Real Madrid rode into town. The former Roma loanee completed 93 per cent of his passes against Carlo Ancelotti’s star-studded side to go alongside a faultless defensive display.
There have even been calls, in the aftermath, of a return to the Spain squad after three years in the wilderness.
Leeds might be able to do without Ampadu. But, for Betis, Diego Llorente is becoming the sort of indispensable presence he never really was at Elland Road.
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