Leeds United trio surely gearing up for almighty 2025 fight after Ethan Ampadu, Pascal Struijk news | OneFootball

FLW assess Leeds United's options in midfield and at centre-back following good news for Daniel Farke regarding Pascal Struijk.

Leeds United boss Daniel Farke has confirmed that defender Pascal Struijk could return to training within the next week after being cleared of a serious injury problem, giving him plenty of options at centre-back and in midfield.

The central defender last featured for the Whites during their 1-0 triumph over West Yorkshire rivals Harrogate Town in the third round of the FA Cup, but he then sustained a hamstring injury in training prior to last Sunday's Championship win over Sheffield Wednesday.

As per The Yorkshire Evening Post, Struijk's initial scan indicated that he could have been absent for either three weeks or three months, while fluid and swelling made it unclear whether a tendon was involved in the issue. There was optimism that it was just his hamstring that had some damage to it.

That proved to be the case when Farke provided a positive update on the Dutch defender. He explained that Struijk has not suffered a long-term setback, and will likely return to training over the course of the coming days.

Although he confirmed in his press conference that he will be back in action over the next week, the 25-year-old appears set to miss out on match action when the West Yorkshire side travel to Lancashire for an all-important clash at the top of the table with Burnley on Monday evening.

Pascal Struijk has created a nice problem for Daniel Farke

Before a ball was kicked this weekend, the Whites were top of the league following their 2-0 victory over Norwich City on Wednesday night, while the Clarets sit third, and just three points behind Farke's men after hammering Plymouth Argyle 5-0.

Struijk missed that fixture again, with Ethan Ampadu deputising at centre-back in his absence. He did so on numerous occasions over the last two seasons, including in recent wins with clean sheets at Elland Road against Sheffield Wednesday and Norwich.

He is likely to retain his place there, albeit the Leeds captain is nominally a defensive midfielder. That is where he operates best and, once Struijk is back up to speed again, it is likely to be the position he plays for the majority of the remaining games of 2024/25.

As captain and a key player, Ampadu is one of the first names on Farke's teamsheet, while Struijk has a fantastic understanding at the heart of Leeds' defence with Joe Rodon, making that the strongest pairing at the club, and possibly the outstanding centre-back duo in the Championship.

That leaves Farke with a potential selection headache just around the corner. Ilia Gruev has returned to fitness quicker than expected, which has bolstered Leeds' midfield options for the run-in. However, with Ampadu a near-guarantee to take one of the two positions at the base of midfield, it begs the question of who his partner may be.

The midfield selection issue for Daniel Farke and Leeds United

In terms of options in midfield at Leeds, Gruev is the most defensive-minded out of the trio remaining, with Joe Rothwell the least, and Ao Tanaka perhaps the most all-round package as a central midfield player. It may well be a situation that is totally fixture dependent or situational based on game state, as each player has their merits.

All of Leeds' four primary options are among the very best midfielders in the division, highlighting that it is an area of significant strength for the Whites. Gruev and Ampadu have played numerous times alongside one another, but Tanaka and Rothwell have largely been fantastic in their absence with injury.

Rothwell has the ball-carrying ability that no other player does in central areas, whereas Tanaka is perhaps the best ball-player and most comfortable in possession and keeping Leeds ticking over. However, it is not as simple as Tanaka being the obvious answer with Ampadu in each game, despite how monumental his performances have been in a Leeds shirt since arriving from Germany's second tier.

That's because Gruev is arguably the most steady and capable player out of possession, while also being the best left-footed set-piece taker at the club. Rothwell has taken many of Leeds' free-kicks and corners of late, and having both means Leeds can have a right and left-sided taker on the pitch at once.

That also cannot be overlooked in terms of its importance, especially with Struijk back in the team as a threat from those dead ball situations. That said, competition for places is no bad thing for Farke to consider, and perhaps will see each perform to even higher levels than they have previously this term as well.