Leeds United's struggles are in no small part down to the injury absence of Rodrigo, according to journalist Ryan Taylor.

The Lowdown: Injury-hit campaign

The 32-year-old has endured a frustrating 2022/23 campaign to date, finding himself sidelined for a chunk of it because of injury problems.

Rodrigo has been limited to 17 Premier League starts, and while that is still a relatively solid number of appearances, he hasn't featured since the end of January.

Despite that, the Spaniard is still easily Leeds' top scorer in the league with ten goals, highlighting his importance.

The Latest: Journalist bemoans absence

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Taylor highlighted the absence of the former Valencia star as a huge issue for Javi Gracia that's gone 'under the radar':

"It's gone under the radar that Rodrigo hit 10 Premier League goals earlier in the season, he's been a big miss through injury."

The Verdict: Need him back ASAP

There is no denying that Rodrigo has been a big loss for Leeds, with his aforementioned scoring statistics showing how dependent they are on his goals.

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The £100,000-a-week attacker is someone who is going to be pivotal in the Whites' battle to remain in the Premier League this season, given his ability to be a match-winner.

This is a player with eight goals for Spain, outlining his pedigree, while Jesse Marsch described him as a 'clever' footballer during his time in charge at Elland Road.

The hope is that Rodrigo is back in the fold as soon as possible and his return could ultimately make or break Leeds' season, as they desperately battle to avoid relegation.