Leeds United left-back Junior Firpo is expected to be out injured for a sustained period of time, according to reliable journalist Phil Hay.
The Lowdown: Firpo suffers knee injury
The 25-year-old joined the Whites from Barcelona last summer, with Marcelo Bielsa bringing him in as a replacement for Ezgjan Alioski. At the time of the transfer, former Premier League striker Kevin Campbell hailed the one-time Spain under-21 international as "incredibly fit, quick and strong".
Unfortunately, Firpo has struggled to convince so far, managing 15 Premier League starts but registering only one assist despite his attacking nature.
The defender picked up what looked a serious knee injury in Thursday's 3-0 defeat to home to Aston Villa, the latest fitness concern for Leeds this season.
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The Latest: Hay predicts lengthy absence for Firpo
Speaking in a Q&A for The Athletic on Sunday morning ahead of the visit of Norwich City, Hay admitted that Whites supporters shouldn't expect to see Firpo in action for a while.
He revealed prior to the match: "There's no Junior Firpo today. He's going to be out for a little while with this knee injury by the sounds of things."
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The Verdict: Not a massive blow for Leeds
In truth, Firpo has been a disappointing signing so far, so this news shouldn't be considered a major setback for Leeds. It is a big blow for the player himself, of course, and the hope is that he makes a speedy recovery, but he has struggled in all facets of his game this season.
His attacking input has been disappointing, as we mentioned above, while defensively he has looked like a weak link all too often, with Leeds conceding 64 goals in 28 league matches in 2021/22 to date and the 25-year-old on the pitch for the majority of those.
It could be that Firpo doesn't play again this season but it may end up being a blessing in disguise, with Stuart Dallas potentially filling in at left-back in an auxiliary role, a position from which he has been quite productive in the past.
The former Barcelona man shouldn't be written off completely, though - new signings can take time to settle in, and the hope is that he returns a more rounded player under Jesse Marsch when he returns from this injury setback.
In other news, Andrea Radrizzani has hinted about Leeds' future ownership. Read more here.