OPINION
There was widespread despair among Leeds United fans this time last week when it was confirmed that Kemar Roofe had sustained knee ligament damage.
The club did not put a timeframe on when the striker will return but it was widely reported he would be out for around six to eight weeks.
United have now released behind-the-scenes footage from their Thorp Arch training headquarters that shows Roofe being put through his paces in the gym as wastes no time in stepping up his comeback bid.
Head of medicine and performance Rob Price has revealed the striker won’t require surgery and he has already started his rehab with double sessions at the player’s own request.
“The good news is he doesn’t need any surgery, he doesn’t need any further intervention and it will heal by itself but you’ll probably see him out and about in a brace and he’s probably going to be in a brace for about three weeks,” Price told the Leeds website.
“He’s really good and he listens straight away but we’re already trying to push him as much as they can and as much as is safely.
“The days of him taking a week away or doing nothing have gone, because the earlier we can start on the rehab and the earlier we can load the tissues, the stronger and the quicker they repair.”
Confirmation of Roofe already doing leg strengthening work, including working his stricken left knee, is brilliant news for United fans who had feared they might not see their top scorer again this season.
The forward has been one of the most prolific marksmen in the Championship, scoring 14 goals and providing a dynamic and hungry presence for the automatic promotion hopefuls.
He will be sorely missed throughout March despite the recent return to full fitness of Patrick Bamford, but Price and the player himself are convinced he can still play a major role in the final weeks of the campaign.
Leeds fans who rate Roofe one of the outstanding players in Marcelo Bielsa’s side will be thrilled by that.