Leeds United have learned of a fresh injury setback for a young talent at Elland Road, acting as a blow to their Championship promotion hopes this season.
Leeds injury news
The Whites didn’t necessarily make an eye-catching start to the campaign, with Daniel Farke taking a little time to settle into his new surroundings, but his side have impressed the more the season has gone on so far. Leeds currently sit third in the Championship table, having won four of their last five league matches, and on Friday night they face a huge test away to current leaders Leicester City, who have only failed to win one league match in 2023/24.
Unfortunately for the Whites, they have not been without injury problems going into the game, with Joe Rodon, Sam Byram and Crysencio Summerville all doubts leading up to the clash, even though they may end up being available. A key update has now emerged over the fitness of another influential Leeds figure, however, and things don’t look as positive with him.
Gelhardt suffers injury setback
According to a new update from Farke, Leeds attacker Joe Gelhardt has suffered a new injury setback, having fractured his hand during a training session:
“Sadly, some bad news was that Joe Gelhardt, who suffered a hand fracture yesterday in training and we will wait for some further assessment. He will definitely miss out the next couple of weeks, so we need further assessment, perhaps if he needs surgery if it rules him out even longer, but this will happen in the next days and he’s definitely not a topic for this next game.”
This is a massive blow for Leeds, with Gelhgardt such an exciting player who has made the step up from the academy to first-team level in recent years. Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp is certainly a fan of the Englishman, once saying of him in the past:
“You see him on the pitch, he made a real difference. I like him, he’s really exciting. He’s fast, he’s aggressive, he gets on the ball, takes people on. Once he gets into the box he loves it and where he can cause most of his damage.”
| Joe Gelhardt’s Leeds stats | Total |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 48 |
| Goals | 3 |
| Assists | 7 |
The 21-year-old is someone who can play a really positive role in Leeds’ promotion push as the season continues, however, possessing the tenacity and quality in the final third to cause defences huge problems on his day.
Granted, Gelhardt may not find it easy to be starting games every week upon his return, considering Farke has the likes of Joel Piroe and Georginio Rutter to call upon, but he has scored some huge goals in the Premier League in the past, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him find the net in similarly dramatic fashion later in the campaign.