OPINION
Leeds were hit with yet more bad injury news after it was confirmed that left-back Barry Douglas would be out for the rest of the season after rupturing the medial ligament in his knee.
It confirmed the club’s worst fears after Douglas came on a substitute against Millwall on Saturday before setting up a goal and then getting injured. He was forced to play through the pain after Marcelo Bielsa had used his three subs.
However, that has come with severe consequences for player and club after the results of scans came back.
Douglas might be a hero for playing on through the injury but fans have been left reeling at yet another blow in a season that’s left manager Bielsa without a full squad to pick from at any point this season.
? | #LUFC defender Barry Douglas sidelined for two to three months after rupturing medial ligament in his knee
— Leeds United (@LUFC) April 2, 2019
Lots of clubs moan about injuries but the Leeds list this season makes for horrific reading.
According to a comprehensive report in the Yorkshire Evening Post, Leeds have suffered 31 individual injuries that have resulted in players missing 165 games (not counting those out for the season).
It’s seen Jamal Blackman head back to Chelsea with a broken leg and Jack Clarke collapse with a virus. Top scorer Kemar Roofe has been out twice, once with a calf problem and now with ligament damage – he’s missed 13 games this season but should be back on Saturday.
Izzy Brown hasn’t started a game after arriving injured from Chelsea on loan, while Gaetano Berardi had been out for 18 games. Adam Forshaw has also been out twice, once for six games with a broken foot at the start of the season and more recently for eight games with a knee problem.
Given all of this, it’s incredible that Leeds are where they are – in second place and on the brink of a return to the Premier League. If they manage it in spite of these problems it will be a minor miracle.