"I think what Daniel Farke will do" - Pundit drops Leeds United, free agent claim amid Ampadu and Gruev news | OneFootball

FLW spoke exclusively to Carlton Palmer who provided his view on the possibility of Leeds United signing free agent midfielders.

Carlton Palmer is not convinced that Leeds United need a free agent addition to bolster their midfield ranks, despite how light they are in terms of options following injuries sustained this week to Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev.

The Whites have hit a midfield crisis following long-term injuries to Ampadu and Gruev in the games against Coventry City and Norwich City this week. It leaves them with just two senior midfielders in the meantime, after Farke confirmed that the knee injury that Leeds' club captain sustained has ruled him out for around 10 weeks.

That alone was a huge blow for the remainder of the games in 2024, which has only been made worse following the news of Gruev's injury. His meniscus issue was severe enough to require surgery and Farke has since confirmed that he is expected to be out for longer than Ampadu.

He revealed this following Leeds' 2-2 draw at the Stadium of Light, speaking post-match to Adam Pope of BBC Leeds.

Carlton Palmer's verdict on Leeds' midfield crisis

It is asking plenty of Ao Tanaka and Joe Rothwell to remain fit until the New Year, and potentially during the busy Christmas schedule as well. Ampadu and Gruev's concerns seriously threaten Leeds' chances of success, and ultimately, promotion this season.

Any further issues could see their automatic promotion hopes derailed due to a lack of depth and options available, given that they are already stretched extremely thin and cannot afford any further issues, be that during the international break or in the next few fixtures.

The current injury crisis threatens to undermine their season, and one answer could still be the free-agent market. However, ex-England international and former Leeds man Carlton Palmer believes the Whites need to be patient and is not certain that their solution lies within a signing before January.

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, he said: "Leeds are really stretched at the moment, having picked up a few serious injuries.

"Ilia Gruev has picked up a serious knee injury which has required surgery. That is going to put him out for months, and then Ethan Ampadu has knee ligament trouble.

"He won't require surgery but he is going to be out for up to ten weeks. However, the better news is that Dan James and Manor Solomon have both had hamstring injuries but are both expected to be fit for the game against Sheffield United after the international break.

"It's very difficult right now to look in the free agent market. If a player is available at this stage of the season, when we're talking seven or eight games into a season, then it's very difficult to see how they're going to come in and add to your squad.

"You can pick up good free replacements, but that's generally at the very end of a season. If those players haven't been snapped up by now, then they're generally just struggling to find a football club.

"Obviously, it's one that Leeds will have a look at and see. Certainly, when Ampadu and Gruev are out for a considerable amount of time.

"You're looking at maybe getting Ampadu back fully fit at the back end of December when a large part of the season is gone.

"I think what Daniel Farke will do, is identify some players and wait and see what the situation is in the January transfer market.

"They're going to have to move in the January window, for sure, if those players are still missing for any considerable length of time.

"It's a lot of points to still be won between now and then."

Leeds' free agent question

There has been plenty of optimism at Leeds this summer, but there is now added pressure on their midfield options. It has left the club in a situation that not many would have expected going into the campaign, as they only have four senior midfielders at the club. More than that could be considered a somewhat unnecessary use of resources.

Rothwell took his place alongside Tanaka against Norwich and Sunderland, which is likely to be the main duo at the base of Leeds' midfield in the coming weeks and months. Ordinarily, both of them are box-to-box midfielders and would be paired with a player that has natural defensive tendencies.

Further competition could be added as there are genuinely good players who can impact Leeds' first-team squad who are available in the market. The likes of Etienne Capoue, Francis Coquelin, Cheikhou Kouyate, and Edouard Michut are all options that they should be considering for depth and cover.

Leeds' duo have already proven that they will offer plenty of control and tempo in possession in the meantime, and Tanaka has played plenty of his career as a holding midfielder in Germany and is likely to be Farke's go-to choice for now as the more defensive-minded player in the double-pivot.

That Sheffield United clash is huge, and would some added competition and cover be sensible? That's for the club to decide over the course of the next week.