How Ethan Ampadu reacted to 'big' Leeds United injury blow
The Leeds United captain is expected to be out until January with a knee injury.
Ethan Ampadu was in a defiant mood when speaking to Wales boss Craig Bellamy in the aftermath of his knee injury, with the Leeds United captain ready to work hard and ‘hit the ground running’ next year.
Ampadu and Leeds were handed a major blow after confirmation the midfielder will be out of action until next year, having suffered a serious injury to the lateral collateral ligament in his knee during last weekend’s 3-0 win over Coventry City. Daniel Farke confirmed on Monday that surgery isn’t required but he is looking at around 10 weeks before having his captain back in training.
The news leaves Leeds thin on the ground in midfield but is also a personal sucker-punch for Ampadu, who was just getting started in leading the club out as permanent club captain. The 24-year-old will also miss Wales’ next two international breaks but national team manager Bellamy insists he is already raring to come back stronger.
"Ethan, it's tough, because you know when you see good players, but when you see them up close, you see how good they are,” Bellamy told Wales Online. “Ethan I was blown away with. What I like with him as a person is he is a leader. I spoke to him on Saturday, Sunday, then Monday, but you speak to a young man who is so strong, he is fine.
“He said it was no problem, a bit of a setback and he knows how much harder he's got to work to hit the ground running. But we won't be reliant on one player. It allows us to be a bit flexible, too. We adapt. That's what it's all about. We ask the players to be flexible and we have to be the same as well. He is an impressive human being. He will come back."
A miserable week for Leeds in terms of injuries got worse on Tuesday, with Ampadu’s cover Ilia Gruev also suffering a knee injury during Tuesday’s 1-1 draw at Norwich City. The Bulgarian was set for scans on Wednesday evening and Farke was unable to provide more clarity on the issue in his pre-Sunderland press conference.
Gruev is one of up to six first-team players who could be unavailable for Friday’s Championship clash at early frontrunners Sunderland. It is hoped there will be an update on the midfielder before or after that game..