Good Morning. It's Thursday 9th December, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road Phillips has extensive muscle damage A footfall injury expert has labelled Kalvin Phillips hamstring affliction as 'extensive muscle damage' and warned fans not to expect to see the England star back in action until February! Ben Dinnery runs the Premier Injuries website and has a background in medicine and data analysis. Optimistically, he mentions that Phillips is a quick healer, and hints that six to eight weeks on the sidelines is expected:- “We’re talking extensive muscle fibre damage there. Grade two, a minimum of 50 per cent, typically, of that muscle fibre damaged. “Is it worst-case scenario? What we know of the player, he tends to heal fairly quickly, heal well. “But we keep on banging this drum; you almost have player fitness, able to return to play and then you also have Marcelo Bielsa murderball fitness. The two are sort of completely different things. “Being ready to play top-level Premier League football is one thing. Coming into a Marcelo Bielsa team where the expectation is that you’re going to be covering greater distances at greater intensities for longer periods, that’s something to be considered. “We do know Marcelo Bielsa is a coach that doesn’t like to cut corners. He will not generally take any risks with these players. “Maybe from what we understand, six to possibly eight weeks for a grade two. That is high end, that is serious.” please log in to view this image Can Leeds wait until the Summer transfer market We all know that the hierarchy at Elland Road would much prefer to wait until the Summer to delve deep inside the transfer kitty, and pull out some bargains; but with six points separating us from the bottom three, can we afford to wait until the Summer? Whilst our squad have been unable to replicate the same form they showed last term, their plight for survival has been hampered by an ever-growing injury list. The January transfer window offers just a small opportunity to find a hidden gem! Not only though would a player have to adapt to our squad, but the fitness levels that Bielsa demands would mean that we are unlikely to see fresh blood until February at the earliest! Only yesterday we heard that Liam Cooper also faces a lengthy lay off after appearing to jar his knee against Brentford last weekend. Whilst his injury is still being assessed, Leeds journalist Phil Hay has confirmed that the Leeds skipper is facing a 'lengthy spell out'. Do we need to invest in January, or can we afford to wait until the Summer? please log in to view this image Berra blown away by Raphinha Former Elland Road favourite Gaetano Berardi recently appeared on Sky Sports, and was quizzed about Raphinha. Whilst the hard hitting defender will always have a special place in our hearts, his response whether the Brazilian could player for a top four side was perfect. "He is really good. "He is a talented player and he is a really strong part of the team. "He can create anything during the games, even if the game is difficult he can create something to score a goal so it's good for Leeds to have him in the squad and just a really good player." When asked whether Raphinha could play for a top four side, Berra responded : "I think yes. But he is already at a top team." please log in to view this image
I am putting my drum away regarding injuries and over the top fitness training. Dread to think what will happen over xmas and new year.
Morning all, I read a lot about what this fitness expert said but I haven't seen anything from the club about it. Would this have come from the club? There is way too much talk about where Kalvin is going in the Summer though, how he's going to snub Manure for Liverpool. I think Raphinha is a better player under Bielsa than he was before, he's now in the Brazil team, so if he's got any sense he'll stay where he's a big star and not move somewhere he might not play every week. Obviously football players don't have much sense so....
We're doomed. Coopers injury could actually be a blessing as Struijk and Llorente look the stronger pairing imo and with Aylings leadership skills I'm not sure we will miss Cooper too much. Phillips is a big problem. We just don't win many games without him. Koch could come in and do a job there but God knows when he will be fully fit again. It might force us to go out in January and get a midfielder. Any news on Bamford injured again?
Morning all, This injury expert might be correct but it seems odd that this is coming from him and not the club or closer sources. I know rumours have been leaked in the past but this feels more than that. I won't believe anything until the official press conference later.
Afternoon all We support Leeds so we follow every bit of news, we know who is injured and who isn't and who is on form and who is not. I don't believe we are any worse off than other clubs when it comes to injured players and I think we have to put it into context. We complained when Rodrigo was one of the injured players but he has hardly featured in Bielsas plans, Harrison was injured and we look unbalanced when he plays alongside James. Bamford was injured yet Bielsa felt Roberts was a better option than Gelhardt and Rodrigo and now many are now calling for Roberts to keep his place. On the current injuries Struijk is surely as good as Cooper and Forshaw has been on fire so if Phillips was simply replaced by Forshaw then he wouldn't be overly missed but it's the chopping and changing that hurts us more. Struijk will probably be used to cover Phillips, Ayling will be playing CB and Dallas RB I feel we need a good midfield signing but I wonder who will a new signing replace? It's really no good signing a defensive midfielder to cover for Phillips. When the first choice back four are selected even if Cooper is still injured we have Koch coming back so the starting backline will see Ayling and Firpo as the full backs. We have more than enough wide players we so assuming it is any two from Harrison, Raphinha and James out wide, Bamford up front it leaves us two midfield positions or one and a number 10... Is a new signing really going to keep out Rodrigo, Roberts, Forshaw and Dallas? In my or your team it might but not in a Bielsa team.
So as bad as it may seem at the moment regarding injuries there is one name that not many have spoke about on here which now with the three main players out could be a big piece of the Jigsaw needed to get us through. Koch. If he was fit he would go straight into the Phillips role leaving forshaw to do what he has been doing. This would mean Struijk can fit in nicely alongside llorente, something a lot of you want. Roberts and Geldhart can then fight it out for the striker role. Hopefully Roberts is coming good at the right time. Unfortunately Koch isn't fit so Bielsa all undoubtedly out e square pegs in round holes. Struijk in midfield, Ayling in CB and shack at RB. This will be where we struggle, not that the players aren't good enough who have come in but the system will be thrown out the window and we will be far too disjointed. Koch needs to hurry back for me
So koch has been fit but then was ill for 10 days. Bamford did pull a hamstring (needs a good kicking for that) kalvin and cooper the same type of injury. Rodrigo has a heel injury... Is there no end to this injury crap.
We need to sign a decent LB, even if it means getting Alioski back. The present incumbent is useless. Alioski could be on the move again less than six months after Leeds exit – Club considering January deal One of the regulars at Leeds United under Marcelo Bielsa, it was somewhat surprising to see Ezgjan Alioski leave on a free transfer in the summer Long linked with Galatasaray, the North Macedonia international decided instead to head to Saudi Arabia to play for Al-Ahli Jeddah, with Patrick Van Aanholt heading to Turkey instead. The former Leeds man, however, could be on the move again despite playing in the vast majority of his club’s game, as L’Arena, relayed by TuttoHellasVerona, explain Hellas Verona, via their director of football Tony D’Amico, are following him. The idea here would be to ‘search for an alternative to Darko Lazovic’ following a bad injury to Gianluca Frabotta, suggesting a January move could be planned. After all, it seems unlike that Al-Ahli will want to part ways with a player they picked up from Leeds less than six months ago, meaning a fee would have to be paid, as Alioski is contracted there until 2023. We’ll have to wait and see, but if the prospect of returning to a European league presents itself, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the ex-Elland Road player jump at the opportunity.
Not much the wiser. So does that mean that I should have some strange man in bright red pyjama's sat on my fridge. All I can guess is that this is some sort of American "tradition" that has invaded over here in the last few years. Anyways at least Yeboah on a mower made me smile
