Leeds suffer injury blow ahead of Arsenal | OneFootball

Leeds United will travel to the Emirates without their captain after Daniel Farke confirmed that Ethan Ampadu faces several weeks out with a knee injury.

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The Wales international limped off during last weekend’s win over Everton and is not expected back until after the September international break.

“Bad news with him, sadly,” Farke said. “For the next few games, we will have to play without him.

“He has an MCL injury and will definitely be out until at least the international break. I hope to have him back after the international break. It’s a blow for us, and we will miss him in the upcoming games – at least the two Premier League games and the cup game.”

Farke stressed that Ampadu’s absence extends beyond his role in midfield. “He’s our captain, not just in performance, but also in the dressing room. From his overall presence and body language, he’s a very important player.

“It’s unfortunate that he’s out after this tackle, but it’s football, sometimes injuries happen, and you have to find other solutions.”

There is better news for Leeds regarding new signing Noah Okafor, who joined from Milan this summer.

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The Swiss forward could be involved against Arsenal. “It’s at least possible because he was involved with AC Milan in the whole pre-season,” Farke explained.

“He also featured last weekend [for AC Milan] for several minutes, so that means he doesn’t need three or four weeks to build up to match fitness. Let’s see how the next two days go, and we’ll make a late decision on him, but it’s at least possible.”

Dominic Calvert-Lewin, another summer arrival, is also edging closer to selection, though Farke was more cautious about his chances of making the squad. “We’ll see,” Farke said. “Each and every training session with the team is important for him.

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“He had a long summer break, followed by a few weeks of individual training, where his general endurance was at a really good level.

“However, what he has missed is team training, and for that reason, each session is crucial. He has made a decent impression, already well integrated, and you can see from day to day that he is growing.

“When we will use him for the first time, we’ll decide spontaneously. From a fitness point of view, he’s in good shape.”

Leeds will arrive in north London buoyed by their opening-day victory, but with Ampadu ruled out and key new signings still working towards full involvement, Farke faces a significant test of his side’s depth against a team unbeaten in their last 42 home matches against promoted clubs.