Ilia Gruev breaks Leeds United injury silence with five-word message
The Leeds United midfielder is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
Ilia Gruev has vowed to be ‘back soon’ in his first comments since suffering a serious knee injury at Norwich City on Tuesday.
Gruev went down in the first-half of Tuesday’s 1-1 Championship draw at Carrow Road, with the midfielder returning to action briefly before being forced off with what looked to be a knee issue. The severity of his injury wasn’t fully clear but Daniel Farke admitted it ‘didn’t look good’ at the time, a feeling further assessment verified.
Leeds confirmed on Thursday that after suffering a ‘significant’ injury to his meniscus, Gruev would undergo surgery and is expected to be out for an extended period. The YEP understands he is looking at months, rather than weeks, before a return to training.
Gruev has understandably been away from the spotlight while absorbing the news but resurfaced on social media over the weekend to provide a brief update. The 24-year-old posted a picture of himself in a hospital bed on Instagram on Saturday afternoon, writing: “I will be back soon!”
It is unclear whether Gruev had undergone surgery before the picture was uploaded, but Leeds said the procedure would take place ‘in the coming days’ on Thursday. His long-term absence is a major blow for Farke, who is already facing the prospect of not having club captain Ethan Ampadu until the New Year.
Ampadu suffered a serious injury to the lateral collateral ligament in his knee during last week’s 3-0 win at home to Coventry City. The midfielder has avoided the need for surgery but faces around 10 weeks out, with even longer needed to bring him back to full match fitness.
Gruev was the sole option as natural cover for Ampadu but in a rotten week of luck, his injury just three days later leaves Leeds without a senior defensive midfielder. At Sunderland on Friday, summer signing Ao Tanaka filled the gap with on-loan Bournemouth man Joe Rothwell operating further forward.
Farke has made clear he is not a fan of signing free agents at this point in the campaign but suggested recruitment chiefs will assess all options, with both Ampadu and Gruev expected to remain sidelined for several months. Leeds have two weeks until their next game, with Yorkshire rivals Sheffield United due at Elland Road on October 18.