Leeds United may be without Gabriel Gudmundsson this week as we take on Burnley on Friday night at Elland Road.
The FA Cup semi-final defeat will already be behind Daniel Farke and his squad. It was an incredible run and the occasion clearly got to the squad. That said, it shouldn’t tarnish what’s been a superb campaign to date.
To cap off the season in the best fashion, making sure of survival by beating Burnley would be crucial to having a relatively stress-free end to the season.
Early Leeds United injury news pre-Burnley – Gabriel Gudmundsson “hamstring” injury confirmed
The closing stages of the game were bleak for Leeds. Not only were our attempts to equalise always looking like being in vain, but we were effectively playing with 10 men.
Having used all five subs, Gabriel Gudmundsson had already gestured that his race was run. The Swede was seen clutching his hamstring on the left flank. A pass was played out to him, and after limping over, he mustered up a weak fling of the leg at the ball to clear his lines. Yet, he remained on instead of Leeds actually going down to 10 men, in discussion with Leeds physios after full-time.
Farke confirmed after full-time that Gudmundsson had suffered a hamstring injury, rather than just cramping up.
“It seems to be a hamstring injury,” Farke told LeedsLive.
“At least it looks like this. So of course, not great news. We have to assess him right now. Can’t give you a timeframe, but it seems to be a hamstring.”
Daniel Farke offers update on Anton Stach’s shock return to Leeds United squad
A surprise boost for Leeds came on Sunday morning as Anton Stach posted a wacky matchday graphic on Instagram. He was previously expected to be out until May with ankle ligament damage. Impressively, he has recovered ahead of time after Joe Rodon’s previous boost.
Stach’s introduction at half-time, alongside a change in formation, allowed Leeds more joy in the second half. The midfielder’s stinging drive was smartly saved by Robert Sanchez as the best moment of the half for United.
However, Farke confirmed after the game that 45 minutes was the absolute most that he could have got out of the German international.
“On Friday, it was the first time back in team training,” Farke continued. “Normally, if you’re out for three and a half weeks, two sessions are not enough to take part, but this was a special occasion. Also Anton is a very special player for us.
“And for that, we went a bit against our principles and took him into the squad. I think he had played really good. It’s good to have him back right now, and also for him, it will give him confidence in his body again to be able to deliver.
“But 45 minutes, I was a bit concerned and especially the medical department was a bit concerned when I brought him on. Definitely not one minute longer [was] possible. Probably during a potential extra time, I would have had to take him off anyway. But I wanted to take risk today in order to turn the game.”
Gabriel Gudmundsson a potential major blow for Leeds United – Anton Stach boost is vital
Of course, Losing Gudmundsson for the Burnley game and beyond is a big blow. He’s been so key to how we attack every week, and he’s been one of our best signings this season.
You could see that wasn’t just cramp, he could barely walk, let alone continue playing a part in that game.
In more positive news, Stach’s return comes at a perfect time for us. He might not have been ready for more time on the pitc. But, if he’s come through unscathed, he should be ready to start against Burnley this Friday.
Consequently, that sort of boost in midfield could be crucial for Leeds effectively securing survival by beating the Clarets.
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