Caleb Ekuban will not be risked in Leeds United’s Championship clash against Brentford tomorrow (Saturday).
The striker, 23, is back in training after missing the last two months with a foot injury he sustained in the team’s 2-0 win at Sunderland in mid-August.
But manager Thomas Christiansen revealed at his weekly media briefing on Friday, as quoted by the personal Twitter account of BBC journalist Adam Pope, that Ekuban and his left-back colleague Cameron Borthwick-Jackson will not be involved at Griffin Park.
TEAM NEWS: Cameron Borthwick-Jackson (ankle) & Caleb Ekuban (foot) still out for #lufc
— Adam Pope (@APOPEY) November 3, 2017
Ekuban continues to train as he recovers from a broken foot. #lufc
— Adam Pope (@APOPEY) November 3, 2017
Christiansen’s side go into the game in London on the back of six defeats in seven matches in all competitions, including losses in their last six fixtures.
Leeds lie sixth in the Championship on 23 points, with seven wins from their opening 15 games, but they have lost five of their last six league fixtures.
OPINION
Given that Ekuban has been back in training for a week, it will be a new blow to him that he will not be considered for the matchday 18 that travels to London. Christiansen is not overly blessed with in-form forwards, even though main man Pierre-Michel Lasogga looks a class apart from those he is currently competing with for the spearhead spot. Ekuban, who joined from Chievo in the summer, 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 will provide a useful added option when he is back in the squad, as there are question marks over youngsters Jay-Roy Grot and Pawel Cibicki, and the versatile Kemar Roofe is in horrible form.