Leeds United are still yet to find winning consistency under Daniel Farke, having initially endured a start to forget back in the Championship. Whilst they have at least shown signs of improvement with recent wins over Queens Park Rangers and Watford, a 3-1 loss at Southampton in between shows that the Yorkshire club still have a long way to go.
The last thing Farke will want, given that inconsistency, is a squad full of injuries. As the games come thick and fast, though, knocks here and there are bound to happen to any club, and Leeds haven't been immune to that, with a recent injury update coming for one particular player.
What's the latest Leeds United injury news?
As things stand, Leeds continue to be without Stuart Dallas in the long-term when it comes to injuries, with Wilfried Gnonto and Djed Spence also sidelined, but with their fixture against Bristol City coming on Saturday, any player that missed the victory over QPR could also be a doubt for the weekend, which could hand Farke a frustrating blow.
The Whites boss will undoubtedly be keen to make it back-to-back wins at Elland Road, even without Jamie Shackleton, who could miss the game through injury. According to Phil Hay of The Athletic, the midfielder missed the game against QPR due to a shoulder knock, meaning that the weekend's fixture against Bristol City could possibly come too soon for his return, though only time will tell.
Farke will likely be left frustrated if Shackleton misses another game, with the 23-year-old slowly but surely becoming a key part of his plans, appearing in seven of 10 Championship games this season. Even though they face a race against time, Leeds may well do everything they can to ensure that their versatile player is back fit and raring to go against Bristol City.
What has Daniel Farke said about Jamie Shackleton?
Featuring in the majority of Leeds' league games this season, Shackleton has quickly emerged as a reliable option for Farke, mainly playing as a full-back despite still being relatively young. One of the few positives, in a way, around the Whites' relegation is the fact that academy products can be handed a platform for progress in the Championship – something that is sometimes rare in the Premier League. Farke is certainly a fan of Shackleton, too, saying, via Leeds Live:
“I really love Jamie. So I think he’s sometimes really underrated because he can play all positions wherever he plays, he’s always reliable, always solid, always a good teammate, gives us everything. Sometimes even a bit of his problem that he has to play so many different roles and sort of coming into rhythm on one more but I think he proved again tonight as his unbelievable piece of our squad and I’m really really happy to have him definitely.”
With that said, once he gets back to full fitness, it will be interesting to see just how important the 23-year-old becomes at Elland Road. Shackleton has caught the eye of the new manager, that's for sure, and now it's all about improving from there for him and for Leeds.
