Leeds United manager Daniel Farke will be without three key players through injury when selecting his side to face Middlesbrough in Monday night’s crunch Championship promotion clash.
Leeds United have just three matches to get over the line, finish the season in the automatic promotion places and avoid the lottery of the Championship play-offs as they target an instant return to the Premier League.
Daniel Farke’s side are still firmly in the hunt for automatic promotion, but they will need an ideal run of form and some help elsewhere to seal a top-two finish.
As it stands, Leeds manager Daniel Farke has guided his side to third in the table, four points behind Leicester City in first and two points behind Ipswich Town in second. With so few matches remaining, any slip-up could prove costly by the end of the campaign.
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It means Leeds could require a perfect run of three victories in as many games to earn promotion, assuming their rivals drop points. The final fixtures kick off with a trip to Middlesbrough, which will be far from an easy tie.
Michael Carrick’s side are unlikely to achieve a play-off finish this season but have shown their ability to compete. The Teesside outfit are unbeaten in their last nine league fixtures, which includes clashes with fellow promotion hopefuls Ipswich and Southampton.
It means Leeds will likely need to be at their best, but look set to do so without three key players available. So with that said, here’s a look at the latest Leeds United injury news and updates ahead of the Middlesbrough clash.
Leeds United injury news
Leeds currently have three injury concerns within their squad for the final weeks of the season. Key defender Pascal Struijk is set to miss the remainder of the campaign with a groin issue he picked up at the start of the year.
Jamie Shackleton is nearing a return to training, while Connor Roberts is a fresh blow to the Whites on the injury front.
Connor Roberts injury update
Burnley loanee Connor Roberts is set to miss the upcoming clash with Middlesbrough after suffering a muscular injury against Blackburn Rovers. Farke confirmed that the full-back could return in the coming weeks.
“Bad news with Connor [Roberts],” the manager told the press. “His muscle showed a reaction after the last game, [he] will miss the next two games, could be a chance for [a return against] Southampton.”
Expected return date: Southampton (H) – May 4.
Jamie Shackleton latest injury update
Jamie Shackleton has missed out on recent action through a muscle strain but looks set for a return to full training soon. Speaking ahead of the clash with Middlesbrough, Farke said: “Jamie [is] not back training, will join us tomorrow [Saturday], game [against Middlesbrough] might be too soon.”
Expected return date: QPR (A) – April 26.
Pascal Struijk injury latest
Pascal Struijk is set to miss the rest of the season for Leeds, following a groin injury earlier in the campaign. The defender has undergone surgery to deal with the issue, but won’t return to action until pre-season.
Expected return date: Pre-season 2024.