Leeds United secured a solid 3-0 victory over fellow Championship strugglers Coventry City at Elland Road on Saturday. However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing for the Whites, as they lost their captain to injury midway through the match.
Despite securing their second straight win, late in the first half, with the team already leading by a goal, Ethan Ampadu had to leave the contest due to an injury.
During the match, the BBC expressed hope that the injury wasn’t an ACL issue. Ampadu initially tried to continue playing after receiving treatment for a tackle but was eventually substituted for Japan international Ao Tanaka.
After the match, the BBC’s Adam Pope shared an update that could help calm the nerves of supporters who were bracing for the worst.
“Farke very pleased with the finishing, speed of passing & solidity when out of possession,” Pope wrote on X. “Knee injury for Ampadu who is in pain but positive after game ‘our most important player. We have to wait for the assessment.’”
Good news for Ethan Ampadu after knee injury
Leeds avoided the worst possible scenario, which would have been an ACL injury that could have ended his 2024-25 season. The Yorkshire Evening Post’s Joe Donnohue relayed the information that Ampadu suffered an injury to the lateral collateral ligament (LCL) and not the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).
“To be clear, Ethan Ampadu’s knee injury is to the lateral collateral ligament (LCL), not anterior cruciate ligament (ACL),” Donnohue wrote Monday on X. “They are different things. Grade 2 LCL recovery between 8-12 weeks, which chimes with Farke’s estimate he will return to team training in 10.”
To be clear, Ethan Ampadu's knee injury is to the lateral collateral ligament (LCL), not anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). They are different things. Grade 2 LCL recovery between 8-12 weeks, which chimes with Farke's estimate he will return to team training in 10. #lufc https://t.co/WhMso7ghQb
— Joe Donnohue (@JoeDonnohue) September 30, 2024
Ampadu, Manor Solomon, Dan James, and Max Wober will all likely miss the clash against Norwich City as the injury list continues to grow while the matches pile up. With key players out, others in the squad will need to step up and elevate their game.
The Whites will have no time to rest after the Norwich contest as they will face promotional rival Sunderland on Friday. Leeds need to start taking away wins against squads that are direct threats to them for the top two automatic promotion spots.
