Leeds United’s teenage defender Harvey Sutcliffe is set to be ‘sidelined for a number of months’ with an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
The Lowdown: Sutcliffe under Skubala
Sutcliffe, who signed professional terms at Elland Road over the summer, has been impressive under U21s manager Michael Skubala this season.
The 18-year-old has made five appearances so far, taking his U21 tally to 19. He has turned out at right-back and left-back, registering two assists in a 5-1 win over Nottingham Forest back in August.
Sutcliffe was forced off through injury against Sunderland on Monday, though, in what was ‘one of his best displays’ according to Leeds journalist Joe Donnohue, and it looks as if his knee problem is serious.
The Latest: ACL
The defender was on crutches and in a knee brace following the 1-0 win at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week.
LUFC Youth have since reported on Twitter that Sutcliffe ‘has suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury and will be sidelined for a number of months’.
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The Verdict: Unfortunate
The Whites are fairly short of left-backs in the first-team, with Junior Firpo struggling through injury, so Sutcliffe may have been hoping to catch Jesse Marsch's eye, especially with a Carabao Cup clash at Wolves around the corner.
He appeared to be improving all the time under Skubala, but it looks as if he may now be out for the rest of the year in what is a disappointing blow for Sutcliffe and the U21s.
Sutcliffe will be desperate to make a full and swift recovery, and hopefully, he won't have any complications over the coming months and can be back playing in 2023, looking to win instant promotion with the U21s back to Premier League 2 Division 1.