Farke must unleash “explosive” Leeds star after Rutter surgery

Leeds United’s 2-0 victory over Millwall at Elland Road on Sunday cemented their position atop the Championship table.

The Whites jumped their rivals at the top by taking advantage of Leicester City’s absence from the second division following their FA Cup loss to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

The goals from Wilfried Gnonto and Dan James, both just before halftime, sealed the victory for the Yorkshire team, placing them atop the standings heading into the international break.

 

Currently vying for automatic promotion to the Premier League, Daniel Farke’s team hopes to return to the top division at the first attempt.

Georginio Rutter has been a vital player for the Whites at the top of the pitch; he assisted both of the goals against Millwall, but he might not be available after the international break.

most recent injury updates for Leeds United

Leeds confirmed in a statement shortly after the triumph on Sunday that the France U21 international will not be playing for his country this week.

The offensive midfielder will stay in England to have surgery for a hernia issue, even though he was scheduled to play for Les Bleus during the international break.

According to their statement, the former Hoffenheim player has been playing through a hernia problem lately, which they have had to treat cautiously. However, this break has given them the chance to resolve the issue.

To address the problem, Rutter will now have a “small surgery,” and it has been revealed that the excellent attacker will be able to resume activity 10 days following the procedure.

The French gem would return to training on Wednesday or Thursday of the following week, if the surgery was performed on the same day as the confirmation of the news on Monday.

That might make it unlikely that he plays in their match against Watford. Leeds play the Hornets on Friday of next week, which might be too soon for him.

In their statement, the club did mention that they expect he will be “in contention” to play in the Easter fixtures against Hull and Watford, if all goes according to plan. Whether the Whites star will be available for selection, or at least healthy enough to start, is still up in the air at this point.

Farke would suffer if he were to miss out on playing time, but it would also give the management a chance to finally start Mateo Joseph at the beginning of the Championship.

Although the talented young player has not yet made his full debut in the second division, his FA Cup performance against Chelsea and his youth record for the team indicate that he has the potential to be a fantastic alternative.

Why Mateo Joseph has to be released by Farke right away

Although the former England U20 international is presently traveling with Spain for U21 play, Leeds does not have a comparable creative force to replace the French gem in their lineup.

But Joseph is a forward with the ability to create things happen in the closing third, so he and Patrick Bamford could concentrate on completing opportunities in and around the penalty box while Crysencio Summerville and Gnonto handle the majority of the creative job on the wings.

The former Espanyol player made an impression on Leeds’ youth team with an incredible 19 goals and three assists in 33 games across all competitions.

The Spanish-born striker scorched 17 goals in 24 games for the U21s in the 2022–2023 season, including 16 goals in 21 Premier League 2 appearances.

Despite being a member of Farke’s first team this season, the five-foot-eleven striker has only made 13 substitute appearances in the Championship, recording 0 goals and 0 assists in that time.

After being selected as a starter against the Premier League team at Stamford Bridge, his performance in the FA Cup versus Chelsea demonstrated that he is capable of having a significant impact at the top end of the game at the senior level.

As you can see in the table above, Joel Piroe did not have a significant impact on the game, but Joseph stood out with two goals—a stunning one-on-one and a header off the back post—and two chances generated for his teammates.

If Rutter is not well enough to start against Watford following his surgery, Farke will have to finally unleash the 20-year-old sensation for the first time in the Championship. Antonio Mango, a U23 scout, referred to him as “dynamite” inside the box.

Results from Georginio Rutter’s championship

Throughout the 2023–24 season, the 21-year-old wizard has been in incredible form and has shown that he is a superb performer at the championship level.

In 37 league games for the Whites, he has amassed an incredible six goals and fifteen assists, which equates to more than one goal every other game on average.

Only Abdul Fatawu (25) has produced more “big chances” than Rutter (22) so far. The left-footed dynamo has assisted more goals than any other player in the division, with former Leeds left-back Leif Davis in second place with 14 for Ipswich Town.

The table above illustrates how brilliant the young player has been for Farke’s club in the final third thus far this season, setting up excellent opportunities for his colleagues.
Though they don’t offer the same degree of inventiveness as Rutter, Joseph and Piroe—who has scored 11 goals in the league so far this season—may be able to make up for it with their individual goal-scoring prowess.
To lessen the blow of perhaps losing the French star, the head coach must unleash the Spain U21 international in the hopes that he can have his breakout performance in the Championship with a debut start in the division.

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