The 5 players set to miss Leeds United v Sheffield United | OneFootball

FLW outline all of the injury issues for Leeds United and Sheffield United ahead of the Yorkshire derby at Elland Road.

Sheffield United travel from South Yorkshire to West Yorkshire on Friday evening for a huge game against Leeds United at the top of the Championship.

It is arguably the toughest test for either side of the season so far. Daniel Farke’s side welcome their Yorkshire rivals Elland Road, hoping to end their visitor’s unbeaten start to the campaign and climb into the automatic promotion places by leapfrogging the Blades and Sunderland.

Whatever the result, the early signs are promising in terms of both the results and overall performances so far for both sides, although the defensive solidity and strong foundation in the back is what is most likely to underpin their respective seasons.

One of the reasons they are both expected to be strong is the strength of their squads, with the Blades so far having a rather fortunate time on the injury-front this season, at least compared to their Yorkshire rivals Leeds.

While Australian defender Harry Souttar is expected to be a late returnee from international duty having drawn 1-1 with Ao Tanaka and Japan, the Blades' preparations for Friday night do not appear to have been affected as much as Leeds, with the likes of Brenden Aaronson and Junior Firpo also facing long trips home this week.

Neither side have been helped by the EFL’s decision to bring the derby meeting forward for TV purposes, with first-team players all over the world. On top of Souttar, Kieffer Moore and Rhys Norrington-Davies also travelled with Wales but no other senior first-team players were away, giving Wilder's side the upper hand in that sense.

A total of 11 Leeds players were away on international duty over the past few weeks, with all looking to have returned without any serious injuries. But that does not mean Farke's preparations for Friday’s derby give him a full squad with a clean bill of health.

Here, we take a look at all the latest news on the injury front for both sides ahead of the titanic fixture on Friday night.

Dan James and Manor Solomon return

Dan James was missing from the home game against Hull City after he picked up a hamstring injury during the 2-0 win at Sheffield Wednesday in August and has been absent since. He aggravated and re-injured the same problem during his rehabilitation in the run-up to the game against Burnley, which would see him watch on from the sidelines for around four weeks

That setback kept him out for six games and Wales duty during the international break but he has returned to full training and is expected to be involved. The same is also true of Spurs loanee Manor Solomon. He missed training in the run up to a game against Cardiff City due to back problems. Since then, it was revealed that he has also picked up a calf issue, which saw him miss the last three games and he was also unable to represent his country recently.

As with James, Solomon has been in training since last week and is also expected to be in the matchday squad come Friday. However, t is likely that Willy Gnonto and Largie Ramazani remain as the wingers on either flank at Elland Road, leaving Leeds with no natural substitute out wide.

Ethan Ampadu faces up to 10 weeks out

Ethan Ampadu is expected to be out until around the New Year after damaging the lateral collateral ligament in his knee against Coventry. The Welshman avoided surgery but is unlikely to be back in training until some time in December. It's unclear how long he will need to build fitness again once he is able to train again.

Leeds' captain played in 63 games last season for Farke's side and his country, Wales, proving to be a consistent figure for both sides. It's a huge blow ahead of a big game against his former side, as well as for the remainder of the games in 2024 potentially.

Ilia Gruev may not play for Leeds until March

Like Ampadu, the midfielder looks set for a lengthy spell out after also suffering a serious knee injury against Norwich City in the fixture directly after Coventry, and he has since undergone meniscus surgery to correct the issue. Bulgaria head coach Ilia Iliev recently suggested it could be five months, leaving him out until close to March.

Wilder's squad has not suffered anything like the recent blows Leeds were dealt with the news of Ampadu and Ilia Gruev's respective injuries earlier this month, meaning Leeds have no natural defensive midfielder to call upon on Friday. It leaves Tanaka and Joe Rothwell to take their place at the base of midfield, with young Charlie Crew as the primary cover in the pivot.

Max Wober's progress is ahead of schedule

Max Wöber is suffering from an injury concern after recovering from his early-season calf problem, which saw him miss the trip to Hillsborough against Sheffield Wednesday after he was also involved against Middlesbrough in their early season cup-tie. Wöber did not feature for Austria in their second international outing of last month against Norway, suffering from meniscus troubles in his knee, and has since undergone surgery.

The Whites have also been attempting to adopt a conservative approach regarding the defender since returning from international duty. Farke stated that it would be six weeks until the Austrian is back in training, but his recent press conference outlined that Wöber is ahead of schedule and that he could return to action sometime around the Swansea City game next month.

Jack Robinson out of action for Sheffield United

Jack Robinson is one of only two injury issues and unavailable players to Wilder this weekend. After starting the season, the experienced defender suffered an ankle issue which saw him out of action for six league games. However, he was back on the bench against Luton Town prior to the recent international break.

Robinson is close to a recall after continuing his recovery with a game for the club's U-21 side this week, helping them defeat city rivals Sheffield Wednesday. However, he is unlikely to play any part against the Whites in a game that he would have relished for Sheffield United.

Tom Davies' recovery continues

The former Everton man made nine appearances for the Blades last season after signing last summer but has been sidelined with a troubling hamstring issue. The problem saw him travel to Germany to see a specialist in the summer and Wilder has claimed that he remains out of action after no changes in his rehabilitation since the Luton Town game.

The 26-year-old had spent his entire career before this season playing in the Premier League and he could be an asset in the long-term. Davies has returned to parts training with the Blades ahead of a potential return around mid-November. In the meantime, Oli Arblaster has recovered from a minor ankle issue and will most likely start alongside Vini Souza at the base of midfield.