Leeds: Hay reveals Firpo injury blow

Leeds United have been dealt a contemporary harm blow concerning left-back Junior Firpo.

What’s the most recent?

Talking on a current episode of The Phil Hay Show, the titular journalist revealed that, after Jesse Marsch confirmed that the 26-year-old missed the 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace on Sunday because of a knock, the defender’s newest setback is believed to be a thigh harm.

Hay went on to state that, with Firpo having already been sidelined for two prolonged spells following his transfer to Elland Street in the summertime of 2021, along with Pascal Struijk having impressed at left-back, the full-back’s newest knock may nicely see the membership make a transfer for a brand new participant within the place within the not too distant future.

Relating to Firpo’s harm, The Athletic journalist stated: “I’m advised that he’s bought a slight thigh drawback.

“I believe because it stands in the meanwhile, it’s arduous to see him shifting Struijk from the group, I believe Struijk has carried out sufficient to maintain himself there, but it surely appears to me that sooner or later they’re going to should chew the bullet at left-back and signal any person else.

“It doesn’t must be somebody vastly skilled, it may be a undertaking of kinds offered that you just really feel assured sufficient to play them in first-team video games.

“Firpo nearly falls into the class of [Patrick] Bamford in the meanwhile, the dialog about him of the way it might be when you might have Firpo within the group when he has a run within the group. He’s one other participant that hasn’t performed a lot at Leeds.”

Unhealthy information for Marsch

Contemplating simply how little first-team soccer Firpo has performed since his £13m transfer to LS11, the information that the defender has now suffered yet one more harm setback, particularly having solely made a return to action within the 0-0 draw with Aston Villa firstly of the month, is certain to have come as unhealthy information for Jesse Marsch.

Certainly, with Stuart Dallas additionally being dominated out till at the least the flip of the 12 months because of a fractured femur, the American supervisor has been left with no different possibility than to deploy centre-back Struijk on the left of his backline for the majority of the present Premier League marketing campaign.

And, whereas the 23-year-old has impressed over his eight league appearances within the place this time period – averaging a SofaScore match score of 6.91, at the moment rating him as Leeds’ fifth-best performer within the prime flight – it’s nonetheless removed from preferrred for the 48-year-old coach to proceed fielding Struijk out of place when he might be utilised at centre-back.

Moreover, with Firpo reported to be incomes a princely £55k-per-week at Elland Street – rating him because the Whites’ seventh-highest-paid participant – it’s evident that the defender’s steady harm setbacks solely make the full-back seem increasingly like a waste of cash as every week passes.

As such, whereas his newest knock wouldn’t seem like overly critical, the left-back’s growing proneness to harm is certain to return as an enormous blow for Marsch, who could nicely already be contemplating a long-term substitute for the previous Barcelona defender within the January switch window.