Kristoffer Klaesson is available for selection after being involved in a serious car crash and is part of the Leeds United squad ahead of their trip to face QPR, according to Leeds Live.
On April 17th, the 23-year-old goalkeeper’s car collided with a roadblock barrier in Norway, thankfully escaping serious physical harm. Despite returning to training, he was absent from matchday squads post-incident. Now, he’s back in contention, ready for selection.
Manager Daniel Farke expressed his astonishment at the crash, stating he was “shocked” during an interview with the Yorkshire Evening Post on April 19th. He further added that he was relieved to learn of Klaesson’s physical and mental well-being post-accident.
It goes without saying that Klaesson’s Leeds teammates and colleagues will be relieved that the goalkeeper appears to be unharmed despite being involved in such a serious collision.
Klaesson has spent the campaign competing with new signing Karl Darlow – who joined from Newcastle United this summer – for the position of second-choice shot-stopper and first alternative to regular starter Illan Meslier.
Darlow, 33, has commanded a more regular position on the bench, being included in 37 matchday squads to Klaesson’s 19 – but the Norwegian has come much closer to matching his English counterpart for actual game-time.
Darlow has played four times across all competitions – twice in the Championship and twice in the League Cup. In the league, he came off the bench after Meslier was sent off in the 2-1 defeat against Preston North End and started the next game, which Leeds also lost against West Brom. In the cup, meanwhile, he featured from the start in the 2-1 win over Shrewsbury Town and the penalty shootout defeat against Salford.
Klaesson, meanwhile, started in the Championship against Birmingham City on New Years’ Day – a 3-0 win – as well as the 2-2 draw with Watford at the end of March. In addition, he played in the third round of the FA Cup as Leeds won 3-0 against Peterborough United.
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