Striker Caleb Ekuban has been ruled out of Leeds’ United’s Championship clash against Derby County on Tuesday night.
Ekuban, 23, has missed the last two months with a foot injury he sustained in the team’s 2-0 win at Sunderland in mid-August.
He has undergone surgery and returned to training on Sunday but manager Thomas Christiansen revealed at his media briefing on Monday that the summer signing is still not yet ready to return.
“It’s too early. He only came back yesterday.” said Christiansen, as quoted by the Yorkshire Evening Post on their live Leeds blog.
Christiansen’s side come into the game against the Rams on the back of two consecutive defeats, a 3-1 loss to Premier League Leicester in the EFL Cup, and a 2-1 defeat to Sheffield United in the league.
Leeds lie fifth in the Championship on 23 points, with seven wins from their opening 14 games, but they have lost four of their last five league fixtures.
OPINION
Ekuban would have been unlikely to have started against Derby even if he was fully fit, but the more dangerous attackers Christiansen can call upon, the better. The summer signing from Chievo is raw but promising and he showed his potential with a goal on his debut in the 4-1 League Cup demolition of Port Vale in August. Ekuban was subsequently given the nod to start at Sunderland when Chris Wood claimed he was ordered not to play, and looked decent before hobbling off with a foot injury midway through the second half. The former Chievo forward is virtually fully fit and will soon be able to provide competition to main man Pierre-Michel Lasogga as well as youngsters Jay-Roy Grot and Pawel Cibicki, and the versatile Kemar Roofe.