Ilia Gruev sends five-word message to Leeds United supporters following successful meniscus surgery | OneFootball

Ilia Gruev's knee surgery has been a success after a meniscus issue arose following Leeds United's midweek draw with Norwich City.

Leeds United midfielder Ilia Gruev has provided an update on his condition following his meniscus surgery earlier today.

Gruev wasn't initially able to establish himself as a first-team player since joining Leeds last summer. That was until Daniel Farke put his faith in the Bulgarian at the start of 2024, and he did not look back.

For the most part, Glen Kamara and Ethan Ampadu had been running and dictating games in the middle of the park, but he then made the midfield role his own following an injury crisis. However, their Bulgarian team-mate had to bide his time before getting a look-in.

The club had spent a significant outlay on the midfielder when they paid £5 million to complete their seventh deal of the summer window. German reporter Florian Plettenberg even revealed that the Championship side could pay up to £6 million in total for the player, when all incentives are met.

Gruev was previously plying his trade with German outfit Werder Bremen after joining them in 2015. It's fair to say that, after coming in from a Bundesliga side, the 24-year-old would probably have liked more game time, but has waited patiently and has become a crucial component of Farke's team.

However, Leeds could be without two of their mainstays for some time, with Ampadu ruled out for 10 weeks with a knee issue, and Gruev succumbing to a problem in his meniscus in the same week. They were in back-to-back games when, prior to that, they had started all seven of Leeds' opening games together in the league.

Ilia Gruev injury update

The Ampadu blow has only been made worse following the news of Gruev's injury. Leeds have a real predicament in midfield now after he hobbled out of the draw against Norwich with a knee issue of his own. It's incredibly unfortunate to lose two specialist and experienced holding midfielders at the same time.

Gruev had tried to continue in the game at Carrow Road, but he was forced off after just 20 minutes. Joe Rothwell took his place alongside Ao Tanaka at the base of midfield for the remainder of the clash.

After the game, the Yorkshire Evening Post reported that after the required surgery to a significant injury to his meniscus, he is looking at months out of action, rather than weeks. Farke 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 against Sunderland, speaking post-match to Adam Pope of BBC Leeds. He explained that Gruev was set for surgery on Saturday 5th October.

Losing Ilia Gruev is a major blow for Leeds

A defensive midfielder, Gruev is comfortable in possession, a set-piece taker, and also strong in the tackle. His retention as the anchoring midfielder was crucial at times last season, with his metronomic passing keeping Leeds ticking over, and he has been one of Leeds' best performers since coming into the side.

The Whites rely on a player of his type to keep the ball in the opposition half as often as possible by screening the defence and keeping Leeds' most dangerous players in possession. Not only has he been a strong shield for Leeds' back four and committed with a strong engine out of possession, but the midfielder has combined that with tidy passes of the ball to keep Leeds ticking over.

It has had Leeds fans quickly become accustomed to Gruev being one of the best players in deeper build up, putting in top performances and demanding the ball irrespective of who's around him in the team or who the opponent is. Losing Ampadu and Gruev at the same time is potentially damaging to their entire season.