---
title: "Leeds: Phil Hay admits Rodrigo is hopeful of playing this weekend"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/leeds-united-team-news-lufc-injury-update-rodrigo-2/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Aaron Hindhaugh"
section: "Leeds United News"
published: "2023-03-11T06:45:10Z"
modified: "2023-03-11T06:45:10Z"
---

# Leeds: Phil Hay admits Rodrigo is hopeful of playing this weekend

**Phil Hay has claimed that Rodrigo has been targeting this weekend’s game for his [Leeds United](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/leeds-united-news/) first-team return.**

### The Lowdown: A timely return for Leeds

It’s safe to say that Leeds have been dependent on Rodrigo as their source of goals this season, with the Spaniard their top scorer with [10 strikes in the league](https://fbref.com/en/squads/5bfb9659/Leeds-United-Stats) – the next closest to him is Crysencio Summerville with four to his name.

Therefore, the fact that [the Spaniard is back in training](https://twitter.com/PhilHay_/status/1633816012960194561?s=20) and that he could even be back in the squad for Leeds’ game this weekend will be a massive boost for Javi Gracia.

Rodrigo appears to be ageing like a fine wine as he’s now 32 years old but is currently enjoying [the best season of his Leeds career](https://fbref.com/en/players/1fb1c435/Rodrigo), having never netted this often in a single campaign at Elland Road.

### The Latest: Rodrigo could feature this weekend

Hay dropped the positive Rodrigo injury update while speaking on the latest episode of [The Phil Hay Show](https://podfollow.com/phil-hay/episode/2ab9d4cf023b9f681cf74bc2d9d49737930821ed/view), which will undoubtedly have pleased fans and Gracia.

He said: “Rodrigo is pretty close and was definitely hoping to be back on this side of the international break; was crossing his fingers that it would be Brighton this weekend rather than Wolves next weekend.”

### The Verdict: Leeds are desperate for a goalscorer

The fact that Leeds can clearly no longer rely on Patrick Bamford to [stay fit or score goals in the Premier League](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/patrick-bamford/leistungsdaten/spieler/183334) – he’s got [three goals since the start of last season having started 16 times](https://fbref.com/en/players/93feac6e/Patrick-Bamford) – shows why getting Rodrigo back would be huge for their relegation scrap.

[Leeds currently sit outside of the bottom three](https://www.skysports.com/premier-league-table) which will take a lot of pressure off their shoulders, but with the misfiring Georginio Rutter and an injury-prone Bamford leading the line, their chances of staying up without Rodrigo are arguably slim.

\[freshpress-quiz id=”418869″\]

If Leeds can get Rodrigo back to full fitness and hitting the same kind of heights he did pre-injury, the Whites should be seen as one of the favourites to avoid the drop, such is the talent that the Spaniard has shown this campaign, having been labelled ‘[sensational](https://motleedsnews.com/news/gary-neville-stunned-by-rodrigo-live-on-sky-sports-for-leeds-united-v-aston-villa/)‘ and a ‘[livewire](https://www.skysports.com/football/leeds-vs-norwich/live/446574)‘ before he picked up his rather serious injury.