Leeds United midfielder Tyler Adams will be missing for this weekend’s Premier League meeting with Wolves, Phil Hay reports.
The Lowdown: Immediate impact
Adams arrived from RB Leipzig in the summer and made a positive first impression at Elland Road, with Sky Sports reporter Tim Thornton heaping praise on the player for how he transitioned from the Bundesliga to Premier League football. He has been a regular since, turning out on 26 occasions in all competitions so far, 24 of which have come in the top flight.
The 24-year-old also captained the USA at the World Cup, helping his country into the last 16 after qualifying from the group behind England. His display in the group clash with England resulted in praise from both Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher, who labelled him ‘bright’ and ‘excellent’.
Adams has continued to feature heavily for Leeds since returning from the World Cup, but now looks set to be absent on Saturday.
The Latest: Injury update
Hay took to Twitter on Wednesday afternoon to relay an update from Elland Road regarding Adams.
He stated that the midfielder ‘has suffered a hamstring injury in training and will miss Saturday's game at Wolves’, adding that Adams is ‘also ruled out of international duty with the USA.’ The reliable reporter described it as ‘a blow to Javi Gracia’.
The Verdict: Not good
Adams has mainly played alongside Marc Roca this season, although fellow countryman Weston McKennie arrived in Yorkshire late in the January window.
As per WhoScored, Adams has outperformed both Roca and McKennie and currently ranks in the top five performers at Elland Road this season. He has averaged more passes per game than any of his teammates and also ranks highly when it comes to tackles, interceptions and key passes made per 90.
Therefore, you can see why Hay has described it as a ‘blow’ for Gracia, who will need to find a quick solution to the problem over the coming days.
Roca and McKennie may well get the nod in a two-man midfield with Adams sidelined and Adam Forshaw still yet to return. In truth, that is the only real senior option Gracia has, unless he goes with teenager Darko Gyabi who arrived from Manchester City in the summer.
It is a key game in Leeds’ season, knowing a win could take them from 19th to as high as 14th, should results go their way, so being without Adams isn’t ideal, but it is something Gracia and his squad now have to deal with.