For Wales, Saturday night was all about the result, and they got it. A 1-0 win over Liechtenstein to keep their World Cup hopes alive – but Leeds United’s Ethan Ampadu was left “gutted”.
Leicester City ace Jordan James got the goal just after the hour mark. A neat pass from Neco Williams into Dan James, a combination that did battle in Leeds’ last game, saw the Leeds ace put through on goal.
The £25m Leeds winger squared to his namesake, who tapped in to make it 1-0. It remained that way until the final whistle, and while Wales should have scored three or four, the result was all that mattered.
However, an incident in the 87th minute will have pricked the ears of Daniel Farke. Especially, with Leeds facing a crucial home game against Aston Villa next Sunday, one which could determine Farke’s future.
Good news for Leeds even if Ethan Ampadu is “gutted”
Ampadu went into Saturday night’s clash wearing the captain’s armband, but only one yellow card away from a suspension. Wales need two wins to book their place in the World Cup qualification play-off.
But the Leeds skipper was handed a yellow for a foul, which was largely harsh. The £10m signing will now miss Tuesday’s clash against Gjanni Alioski’s North Macedonia, with the two sides fighting for second.
After the game, Ampadu declared himself gutted to BBC: “I am very gutted. It’s annoying because I don’t think I touched the guy and I won the ball. You’d like to score more goals, but we got the win,” he added.
But it is good news for Leeds. Ampadu will now miss Tuesday’s clash against North Macedonia, and while it will be a tough one to take for Ampadu, who was due to wear the armband, he has a rest for a week.
Ethan Ampadu is no stranger to injury in the last 18 months
LeedsUnited.News understands Farke has been given until January to turn things around. But Farke will be more than aware that a couple of defeats will see fans become toxic, and the sack grows likelier.
He will need his best players, at their best, come Sunday. Aston Villa at Elland Road presents Leeds’ best chance of a result in the next four games, with Chelsea, Manchester City, and Liverpool coming up next.
Ampadu has struggled in recent weeks, but a week’s rest and the chance to relax before getting back into the thick of things will be a relief for Farke. Ampadu has been no stranger to injury in the last 18 months.
An MCL injury already this season, Ampadu missed months at the start of the 2024-25 season and then a large period at the back end of last term, as well. He might be gutted, but it is great news for Farke.
It means they will have a well-rested Ampadu in the middle of the park, injury-free, when an in-form Villa comes to town. Club managers fear the worst during the break, but with Ampadu, it is a positive result.
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