Leeds United are into their preparations for Millwall’s visit to Elland Road and had four players unavailable to Daniel Farke last week
Plans for Sunday’s return to action are well advanced, five days after Leeds United defeated Sheffield Wednesday. After 10 games in 35 days, players needed a long weekend to recover, but before the international break, Millwall is already the talk of the town.
Daniel Farke was missing four players from Hillsborough. Which one of them is available for this weekend’s Farke?
Jaidon Anthony has not been included in the Whites’ rosters for the past two matchdays, but he should be ready this weekend. Anthony was eliminated from contention for the week due to the funeral of his mother, which occurred last week.
“Jaidon Anthony will not be playing for us due to personal reasons,” Farke announced prior to the Stoke City match. Then, the management excluded him from Sheffield Wednesday as well.
The most recent remarks regarding Stuart Dallas’s development came from Michael O’Neill, however they were mostly consistent with what Farke has been saying the entire season. In February, the Northern Ireland manager was questioned over Dallas’s prospects of being included in the March international squad.
“It would be excessive,” O’Neill remarked. It would be a difficult task for both lads because neither player—Corry Evans included—is now close to their first team, and February is almost halfway over.
“It doesn’t matter if they return in March. The most crucial thing is that they are well and back on the field for their clubs because we know that when they return, they will return to our field as well.
“Stuart and Corry are with their clubs and they are not back in terms of full training or back in their matchday squads and we just have to be patient with that and hopefully they will be fit sooner rather than later.”
Dallas has no expected return date as it stands, but Jamie Shackleton should be back with us far sooner. Shackleton fell ill in the team hotel ahead of the FA Cup clash at Chelsea, but his symptoms began to match concussion and he had to follow the established protocol as such.
“Jamie Shackleton, due to concussion protocol, [is missing] because symptoms were like a concussion,” Farke said before Stoke. “He misses tomorrow and Sheffield Wednesday. If you have to follow this, you cannot return to team training or games for a few days.”
Given it has been another nine days, Shackleton should be in contention for Millwall’s visit. Pascal Struijk will have a slightly longer wait than the midfielder.
Because of an adductor problem that has taken longer to cure than Farke had anticipated, Struijk has not been seen since Boxing Day. The last time we heard was prior to Leicester City’s victory.
It’s a good thing, he said. “We have to build him up over the next two weeks, but he is permitted to increase his training load. Hopefully, he will be prepared to join team training.” He should be eligible for the games following the international break, in my opinion.”
That may imply that Struijk will be in the starting lineup for either Good Friday’s game at Vicarage Road or Easter Monday’s match against Hull City at Elland Road.
