Leeds United will be missing a number of key players for their trip to the City Ground on Sunday as Jesse Marsch's side look for their first win since November. The Whites were dealt a big blow earlier this week, with Rodrigo set to miss six to eight weeks after picking up an ankle injury following their win at Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup.
Marsch's men have not won in the Premier League since their win over Bournemouth, prior to the World Cup. The Whites have shown signs of improvement and they'll be hoping their torrid run comes to an end this time out.
Here is a look at who is occupying spaces in Leeds' treatment room ahead of this weekend...
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Adam Forshaw - Hip
After his run of consistent first senior team appearances over the winter break, Forshaw suffered a hip problem that has seen him out for the start of the year and will be on the sidelines for a little longer.
What Marsch said (Jan 20): “It was more of a procedure. He had an injection to help fortify things. He's had a lot of visits to the doctor to figure out why this keeps happening and one of the things is just strengthening the area.
"And so it's about making sure we're not putting him in a situation where it's not cyclical and he's battling all the time to get out on the pitch. It's about making sure getting him to a strong place to get him back to his best."
Potential return date: 31/02/23
Archie Gray - Foot
Gray has had some unfortunate injuries that have gotten in the way of him making his first senior appearance for the club. The latest was fracturing his toe after stubbing it at home but he could finally get his chance after returning to training this week.
What Marsch said (Jan 20): "Archie has made good progress so far this week, he was out on the pitch today."
Potential return date: 28/01/23
Stuart Dallas - Leg
Dallas went to Spain last month to complete rehab work as he continues his recovery from a fractured femur he suffered against Manchester City in April last year. He was, however, forced to undergo a second surgery to 'clean some things up'.
What Marsch said (Jan 22): " 'Stuart had a follow-up operation, too, because they thought they had a little bit of an infection, so they just cleaned that out, but he's back and feeling good.'
Potential return date: Unknown
Rodrigo - Ankle
Rodrigo picked up a knock late into Leeds United's FA Cup win at Accrington Stanley. With scans showing bone and ligament damage at the joint, Rodrigo has undergone minor surgery this week to rectify the issue.
What Marsch said (February 4): "Yeah, we’re obviously disappointed. First, as a manager, I always feel it's our responsibility to take care of these guys. So trying to manage them always physically so that they're not risking their bodies, I think we do a pretty good job of that and if you went by muscle injuries in this squad over the past year, it's been quite good.
"This one was a little bit of a contact at the top of the box right at the end of the match and it resulted in a small fracture in the bottom of his tibia. So you can't ever protect players all the way they have to play the match and you can't treat him like porcelain. Obviously, after the match, when it was 3-0 then you think ‘well, should we have not played him on the day’ but the emphasis of putting them on was to get him in Patrick playing together again so that we can continue to have the option of both of them on the pitch at the same time. But yeah, we're disappointed for Rodri."
Potential return date: Six to eight weeks
Robin Koch - Suspended
Jesse Marsch will however be without the 26-year-old for their game against Forest on Sunday, February 5. Koch, alongside Max Wober, put in a superb performance to keep Brentford from scoring, with Ivan Toney unable to find the back of the net for the 14th time this season.
Koch picked up his fifth yellow card of the season in the 83rd minute after bringing down Toney and stopping a dangerous break from Thomas Frank's side. The caution came in Leeds' 19th Premier League game of the season, with suspensions for cumulative bookings being reset at full-time.
The defender therefore was just seven minutes away from avoiding picking up the ban, yet Koch would no doubt argue that it was not worth the risk should Brentford have gone on to score without his intervention
Potential return date: February 8th
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