Leeds United’s international lifeline revealed after Ao Tanaka Japan call-up

The Japanese international is set for an integral role at Elland Road over the coming months following the knee ligament injury to Ethan Ampadu.

Tanaka will be forced to navigate two international breaks and several Championship fixtures without succumbing to injury, though, which would greatly affect Leeds' ability to field a natural midfield pairing.

Tuesday night's draw with Norwich City saw Tanaka partnered by Ilia Gruev from the start but after 20 minutes the Bulgarian international had been withdrawn due to a knee problem. He was subsequently tasked with working alongside season-long loanee Joe Rothwell and the duo largely passed the test.

This month's international break sees Japan first take on Saudi Arabia in Jeddah on Thursday, October 10 before a fixture against Australia in the Greater Tokyo Area five days later.

Leeds' return to action following the international window comes at Elland Road in what could prove to be their stiffest test of the campaign so far, as Chris Wilder arrives with his Sheffield United side on Friday, October 18.

Tanaka's selection in the Japan squad means he will clock up just shy of 18,000 miles between Leeds' outing at the Stadium of Light on Friday evening and the Blades' visit to Elland Road a fortnight later.

The 26-year-old's involvement with Japan earlier this month was limited to just 19 minutes, while the calibre of opposition - Bahrain and China - were somewhat inferior, therefore he returned to Leeds relatively fresh. This time around, Saudi Arabia and Australia are likely to pose a greater challenge, both competitively and physically, which suggests Tanaka could return to Thorp Arch somewhat jaded.

His time on the pitch will also need to be closely monitored by staff back at Leeds, considering international trio Max Wober, Gruev and Ampadu have all sustained recent injuries, which could be a result of several matches for club and country throughout 2024 beginning to take their toll.

Fortunately for Leeds, Japan's final fixture of this month takes place on Tuesday October 15, at 11:15 UK time. By the time Tanaka, whether he plays or not, has finished his duties for the Samurai Blue, he will have a full 78 hours to rest and recuperate before facing Wilder's Blades, for which he is likely to be needed from the start. While not ideal, the situation is somewhat better than the one Brenden Aaronson, for example, will be forced to endure as the United States face Mexico in Guadalajara during the early hours of Wednesday, October 16.

Daniel Farke says players are only considered for games if they are able to participate in the final training session of the week before a match. Provided Tanaka does not report back with any issues, he is expected to take part in team training on Thursday, October 17.

Following his Japan engagements on the Tuesday which should include a recovery session, Tanaka will most likely head back to England on a direct, 14-hour flight a day later, landing at London Heathrow by early evening, accounting for the time difference that comes with travelling from Tokyo to the United Kingdom.

This should allow the midfielder adequate time to rest, whether that be in transit, or when he returns to Yorkshire on Wednesday night, ready for Thursday's assessment by club physios and subsequent team session.

This particular fixture scheduling is an inadvertent lifeline for Leeds given their current situation with Ampadu and Gruev out injured. Tanaka becoming the latest absentee all of a sudden would leave Farke with severely limited midfield options, relying on youngster Charlie Crew, who at 18 is yet to make his competitive club debut, or an as yet undetermined workaround by shifting a player whose usual position is elsewhere on the pitch, into a holding number six-stroke-eight role.