The #LUFC Breakfast Debate (Wednesday 27th September) Spence aiming to be back for the visit of the Pilgrims
Good Morning. It's Wednesday 27th September, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road...
Spence aiming to be back for the visit of the Pilgrims
Speaking on the official Leeds United Podcast recently, Head of Medicine & Performance, Rob Price, has spoken about the freak training incident which has seen new recruit Djed Spence sidelined for up to eight weeks. The 23 year old, a season long signing from Spurs during the closing stages of the Summer transfer window ruptured his lateral ligament in his knee, whilst challenging for the ball in training, but will hopefully be back in time for the visit of Plymouth Argyle on November 11th.
Last week, he's gone into a challenge in training, his foot slipped from underneath him and he's ruptured the lateral ligament of his knee. Ninety per cent of these heal pretty well within eight weeks. We do some injections to try and promote the healing in that area and we protect it and his rehab is based on that. “So, at the minute, he’s a week into this and we're just progressing really, really slowly, but it's a freak accident. It could have happened to anyone.
His foot slipped and it slips as he’s in a challenge, someone falls on his leg and pushes him into a level where the ligament can't tolerate it, so it snaps, but what I would say about him, as with all the players, is already his attitude to doing what's right and to making sure he’s going to be okay has been first class.
We’ll build him up over the next few weeks. We hope he lies in that 90 per cent who get there within the eight weeks. “If he doesn't, there's things we can do beyond that, but there's certainly nothing extra you’d do at this stage when he's got a good chance of being back in with us some time in November.
Leeds must be regretting selling Davis
Big things were expected from Leif Davis, when Leeds signed him from Morcambe five years ago. The then 18yo had quickly accelerated through the youth ranks at the Mazuma Stadium, and always seemed destined for bigger and better things.
He went on to make just nine appearances for the Whites during his four year stay, but only started to fulfill his potential after leaving Elland Road. After being cast aside by Messrs Bielsa and Marsch, the young left back signed for (then) League 1 promotion hopefuls Ipswich Town, where he made an instant impact.
In his first competitive season, Davis netted three times, and provided fourteen assists. Whilst many scoffed at these statistics, suggesting that the standard of football in the third tier of English football is poor, the tractor boys currently find themselves joint top of the Championship with seven victories from their opening eight games, with Davis continuing to shine. According to data from Whoscored, the 23yo left-back has a rating of 7.21, placing his second in their entire squad.
Farke has not forgotten about Cresswell
We're almost two months into the season, and Charlie Cresswell has barely kicked a ball. The England U21 International must be disappointed, especially after shining last season for Millwall. He made 28 appearances for the Lions; which was only cut short when he fractured his eye socket April 1st in a league match at the Hawthorns.
It looks like Daniel Farke is getting the best out of Pascal Struijk, whilst Joe Roden's experience and quality has been instrumental this term in helping the team maintain recent clean sheets, but now, surprisingly, it looks like Liam Cooper is next in line. The Leeds skipper was chosen to replace Piroe when Roden was sent for an early bath at Hull, and was also given the nod to start last Saturday against Watford, even though he hadn't kicked a ball since the opening day of the season.
The Championship season is a long and arduous one. Cressy will be given his opportunity to shine, especially if he maintains his high levels of commitment and professionalism on the training pitch which hasn't gone unnoticed by the Leeds gaffer:-
I don’t praise just the players who were on the pitch today, our centre-backs, but it is also good we have players like, for example, Charlie Cresswell. He makes sure he trains each and every training session with top-class performance and top-class mentality and he holds the pressure high because the likes of Pascal or Joe or, today, Liam, they know they can’t afford to play with two per cent concentration less because otherwise there is a top-class player who waits for his success.
For me, it’s not just today for the clean sheet, I sing the praise for Pascal and Liam, if I need to spotlight one player I would definitely go for Charlie Cresswell because he also wants to play each and every game. It was tough for him to accept he wasn’t even in the game day squad for the last game or he was not starting today, although he would have also deserved it.
To make sure the players who are not playing each and every game, make sure they train with commitment, with being there, with top-class mentality, with a good personality, this is more to be praised. I am pretty pleased we showed we have this depth in the squad, not just in terms of quality, but also mentality, to think more about the side.
Charlie was also singing with the lads in the dressing room and celebrating. This is exactly the mentality and if I have to highlight one player, I would love to highlight Charlie Cresswell because this behaviour is crucial.
If you want to win something, it’s not like the strikers are concentrating on winning the golden boot or the goalkeeper just on most clean sheets, no, think about the success as a team and that’s what my lads are doing at the moment and I am pretty pleased with this behaviour.
