Adam Forshaw to have surgery on ligament injury

Leeds United midfielder Adam Forshaw is expected to miss 6-8 weeks after damaging ligaments in his foot during training prior to the final friendly against U.D Las Palmas.

The January signing from fellow Championship side Middlesbrough had looked good throughout pre-season and would be considered first choice, either as the centre of the second 3 in Bielsa’s 3-3-1-3 formation, or as the more advanced of the 2 in a 4-2-3-1.

The news is not a total shock to Leeds fans as the player was pictured wearing a protective boot on the day of the Las Palmas match.

In his press conference, manager Marcelo Bielsa stated: “It’s bad news for the team because Forshaw is a great player, a big player. It’s not very bad news because we have other solutions for Adam in this position.”

Leeds’ Head of Medicine and Performance told the club website: “The injury is disappointing for the club and for Adam - but by no means a major issue.

“Adam came back to pre-season in fantastic condition and has worked as hard as anyone over the summer which is why the news is frustrating, but we are confident we can have the player back training in between six and eight weeks, and we have an international break during that period too.”

Leeds have a few options for the central midfield position but the favourite to take the spot is Mateusz Klich following his impressive pre-season form, although Bielsa is always a tough man to predict.