Leeds United: Connor Roberts update emerges ahead of Sunderland | OneFootball

Leeds United journalist Phil Hay has provided an update on the fitness of Welsh international Connor Roberts ahead of the side's midweek match with Sunderland.

Roberts was forced off before the end of his national team's final game of the previous international break.

It was reported that he had picked up a thigh injury, as per journalist Phil Cadden. Manager Daniel Farke confirmed, after the club's victory over Watford, following the international break, that Roberts would not be back for their next fixture against Hull City.

Indeed, he wasn't, but the 28-year-old was included in the matchday squad for Leeds' trip to Coventry, which saw them lose 2-1 to the Sky Blues, leaving them third place in the Championship table, and with no real control over their automatic promotion hopes anymore.

Roberts came on at the start of the second half, replacing Glen Kamara. He managed the rest of the match, but it now appears that his fitness, as it pertains to him starting the match on Tuesday night, against the Black Cats, is still in question.

Connor Roberts may not be fit enough to start against Sunderland

18-year-old Archie Gray may have to cover at full-back once again as the fitness of his 29-year-old teammate remains in doubt. Leeds journalist Phil Hay has said that he isn't sure that Roberts will be fit enough to make the starting XI, given the short amount of time between the two games.

Speaking on The Square Ball Podcast, Hay said: "That would seem to me, with Gray pushing into midfield, like an easy change to make. The only question I think will be how long Roberts can play for.

"He went for 45 minutes today, but Farke was saying they were really pushing him to the maximum by doing that because I think he’d only had one training session before the weekend, but that’s probably the area to keep an eye on."

The Burnley loanee has only made one start since joining the Yorkshire-based club in the January transfer window. That came in United's 1-0 win against Stoke City in early March.

Connor Roberts' starting place questions aren't the end of the world

The Whites have struggled with depth at this position for most of the season; that's why Gray has had to fill in this part of the team for much of the season, despite the fact that he is a natural central midfielder.

Leeds will want to have the tactical flexibility to get their young star into the centre of the park if things aren't going well, as they weren't against Coventry. This can be fairly easily done, regardless of whether he is at right-back or not. The good thing about the teenager's positional flexibility is that it makes the switch to bringing a true full-back off the bench much easier, because he can slot into wherever the man that is coming off for said full-back previously was.

Roberts hasn't been a hugely preferred option since arriving at Elland Road. The eight substitute appearances in comparison to the one league start show that the Welshman not being fit enough to start a game isn't going to bring the whole ship down, so Leeds fans shouldn't be too nervous about the questions over his availability.