Daniel Farke confirms triple Leeds United blow - It's not good news at all | OneFootball

Daniel Farke has confirmed that Pascal Struijk is out for the rest of the season, whilst Dan James and Joe Rothwell will miss the Preston game.

Leeds United boss Daniel Farke has confirmed that Pascal Struijk is set to miss the rest of the season, whilst Joe Rothwell and the influential Dan James won’t be involved against Preston tomorrow.

The Whites enjoyed a fantastic midweek, as they picked up a hard-fought 1-0 win at Middlesbrough, with promotion rivals Burnley and Sheffield United dropping points.

That saw Farke’s men move back to the top of the Championship, with promotion very much in their own hands heading into the final five games.

Leeds United team news ahead of Preston clash

However, it hasn’t been all good news for Leeds in the build-up to the fixture against North End, with Farke telling reporter Beren Cross that three senior players will be absent.

“We have Struijk, confirm his season is over. He had a fracture in his foot. Out for 10 weeks. Rothwell out and James out for this game. Came out with a hamstring problem. Rule him out for the weekend and then we will see. Tight race for Easter.”

With Struijk and Rothwell having missed the win at Middlesbrough, they aren’t fresh blows for the boss, but James did play, and score, at the Riverside Stadium.

Dan James will be missed by Leeds United

After Struijk was forced off at Luton, there were always fears he could miss the remainder of the campaign due to a foot problem - and that bad news has been confirmed.

But, the defence proved at Boro that they can cope without the Dutchman, with Ethan Ampadu dropping back to form a strong partnership with Joe Rodon, which the Welsh duo did last season as well.

Similarly, Rothwell’s injury isn’t ideal, but he hasn’t always been in the XI, and Ilia Gruev and Ao Tanaka are both more than capable midfield players at this level.

Therefore, the major concern from Farke’s update is James’ injury, as he has arguably been Leeds’ best player this season.

The electric winger has weighed in with 12 goals and nine assists, and he has rediscovered his best form recently, scoring two in two. So, it’s a setback, but it does present an opportunity for those on the fringes.

Wilfried Gnonto is sure to come back into the XI now, which highlights their strength in depth, and Largie Ramazani is likely to get more game time after a frustrating period on the bench.

It remains to be seen whether Rothwell or James will be available for selection for the games at Oxford and at home to Stoke City over the Easter period.