Leeds striker Kemar Roofe has delivered a positive fitness update and said ‘I can see the finish line’ as he bids to come back from ligament damage.
Roofe has been out since the Swansea game on February 13th and was aiming for an April comeback.
It looks like he’s bang on schedule for that and close to resuming first-team training.
Talking to LUTV on Wednesday he said, “Yeah, we’re positive now. We’re outside doing a bit of ball work, turning and sprinting, some more game realistic exercises.
“The previous week it was more straight line, to keep the knee straight, but now the knee’s at a good strength, so we can move with that now.
“The way football is, I want to be out on the grass as much as possible and this is the stage where I can see the finish line and get back with the team training. This is the next stage to completing and then I can train.”
“You’re used to being in the gym for six or seven weeks so when you go out on the grass, your body needs to get used to it again. It’s just getting the confidence.
“Your muscles will lose strength and that’s everywhere in your body and you need to maintain that so when you go back out, you’re not pulling anything or getting anything tonight, or doing anything that prevents you kicking on again.”
OPINION
Great news for Leeds who have eight games standing between them and a possible return to the Premier League. Roofe won’t be back for Saturday’s game against Millwall, as some optimistic fans had hoped, but he could well be back for Birmingham a week later. In his place, Patrick Bamford has done an okay job, but he’s also missed a host of chances, one in the game against Sheffield United that could have made a lot of difference to the league table. As it is, Leeds are one point behind Sheffield United and five behind Norwich at the top. Leeds have possibly the easier game of the top three this weekend though, at home to Millwall. Sheffield United host Bristol City before Norwich visit Middlesbrough in the late afternoon kick-off. No doubt there will be more twists and turns in the promotion race before the season is out. Leeds fans will be hoping that the return of Roofe can turn them back into top-two finishers.