A Leeds United attacker has returned from injury.

Loaned out Leeds United forward Joe Gelhardt has returned from injury in celebratory style amid a fresh decision being taken on another Whites attacker.

Gelhardt initially joined Hull on loan until the end of the season in January 2025 and the attacker re-joined the Tigers in the summer on loan for the full 2025-26 campaign.

The 23-year-old was ending the year on a brilliant run of form after scoring eight goals from his last ten games but was dealt a blow when suffering a calf injury in the 4-1 defeat at home to Middlesbrough at the start of December.

Boss Sergej Jakirovic said at the time that Gelhardt was probably looking at around five weeks out and the Leeds loanee returned to training ahead of Tuesday night’s Championship clash at Preston North End.

Gelhardt was named on the bench for the contest and brought on as a 69th-minute substitute with his highflying side already 3-0 up.

There were no further goals in the contest in which Preston’s Milutin Osmajic was sent off for a headbutt in the closing stages.

Gelhardt is one of five Whites attackers with first team experience out on loan in addition to Mateo Joseph (Mallorca), Largie Ramazani (Valencia), Harry Gray (Rotherham United) and Jack Harrison (Fiorentina).

Fresh decision taken after minutes in seven consecutive games

Ramazani himself has recently returned from injury but stayed on the bench for Sunday’s 1-0 win at La Liga hosts Getafe after getting minutes in all of his side’s last seven games.

Boss Carlos Corberan, though, took the decision to keep Ramazani as an unused substitute for the visit of Getafe.

The 24-year-old is yet to start a La Liga game for Valencia for whom he has bagged two assists so far - one in the league and one in the Copa del Rey.

Joseph, also plying his trade in La Liga this term, bagged his 13th league start for Mallorca in Saturday’s 3-2 win at home to Athletic Bilbao.

The 22-year-old has two goals and two assists to his name from his 20 outings for the Spanish side in total.

Teenage prospect Gray joined League One side Rotherham on loan for the rest of the season last week and made his Millers debut in Saturday’s 3-2 defeat at Stockport in which he played the full duration of the game.

Rotherham are back in action on Saturday with another league clash at home to AFC Wimbledon.

Harrison sealed his loan move to Fiorentina on Monday and could make his debut in Saturday’s Serie A clash at home to Cagliari.