Concern raised with Pascal Struijk amid Ethan Ampadu blow at Leeds United | OneFootball

Ampadu has suffered a second knee injury of the campaign

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Leeds United are set for a second lengthy spell of the campaign without the services of Ethan Ampadu, as the club captain is set to undergo knee surgery.

The versatile 24-year-old was absent from the squad during Monday's dramatic comeback victory against promotion rivals Sheffield United at Bramall Lane, although he did make the short trip across Yorkshire with the rest of Daniel Farke's players.

In the lead-up to the encounter, it was revealed by the Yorkshire Evening Post that the Welsh international had sustained a second knee injury in training, before it was stated by Farke post-match that the likelihood is Ampadu has suffered a "serious" issue with the opposite knee to his previous absence, meaning he could be out of action for quite some time.

With that in mind, FLW asked our resident Leeds fan pundit, Kris Smith, whether the Whites have the ability to cope without the former Chelsea man's services for the remaining 12 Championship games.

Previous Ethan Ampadu scenario cited in Leeds United analysis

Smith was quick to reference Ampadu's previous absence between September 28th and December 10th in his assessment, as United were able to cope during that period.

He also took into account the number of players within the squad that are available this time around, with the likes of Ilia Gruev recently returning to the fold, despite the leadership which the 54-time international has continuously shown in Yorkshire.

"There's a reason Ethan Ampadu was given the club captaincy after just a year at Elland Road under Farke," Smith began. "It's just because he's a natural leader on the pitch, no matter where he's playing."

"Obviously, it's a really big blow as a result of that (the injury). But, I think the relief, for me, is that we've already been forced to cope without him for over two months when he first did his knee back at the end of September," he added.

"He was out until late December, and we did largely fine with Ao Tanaka and Joe Rothwell partnering each other. And, now we've got Ilia Gruev back, plus Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk in defence, I think we should be able to cope and see (ourselves) through a relatively favourable run-in."

"Of course, a full strength and best Leeds starting lineup has Ethan Ampadu in midfield," our fan pundit stated.

"But, given that we've got these hard fixtures out the way, as I just mentioned, it's not a totally devastating, season-ruining injury like Pascal Struijk's proved to be last season when he wasn't there for the run-in."

However, Smith did point out one potential scenario which could give some cause for concern, despite Leeds' recent run of results and upcoming fixtures.

"Obviously, it's still infuriating that Ampadu's not there for us."

Smith concluded: "The only concern for me now is, with Ampadu not there, he covers midfield and centre-back, and we are now leaning quite heavily on Struijk staying fit for the rest of the campaign which is a risk, knowing how many injuries he's had in the past."

Leeds United left sweating over Ethan Ampadu's long-term availability

As Smith alluded to, Leeds have enough depth to cope without Ampadu in midfield, where he arguably performs at the peak of his powers, but the captain also filled in seamlessly alongside his compatriot Rodon during Struijk's four-game absence at the turn of the year.

Monday's 3-1 success was the Dutchman's first start and full 90 minutes since the 1-1 draw against Blackburn Rovers on New Year's Day, showcasing how long it took for the centre-back to reach full fitness, and Farke will hope the decision to ease Struijk back into action pays off amid Ampadu's second lengthy lay-off of the season.

Of course, the Exeter-born man was able to return to action way earlier than expected after his first spell on the sidelines this term, but it remains to be seen whether he plays much more of a part in the remaining fixtures, as Leeds continue their march towards the Premier League.

"It's a bit too soon to give a time frame for how long he will be out for," Farke said via BBC Sport after the win in the Steel City.

"It depends a bit on how it works, but he definitely won't be available for the next upcoming games at least and it's a big blow for us.

The German concluded: "What are the chances of two big injuries in one season after not missing a minute last season?"

Both Leeds and Ampadu will be somewhat cursing their luck on that front, but the rest of the squad will have Saturday's encounter against West Bromwich Albion at the forefront of their minds.