Luke Ayling has ankle surgery - will miss the start of the season

There are three certainties in life: Death, Taxes, and Leeds United injuries.

Having already missed a fair bit of pre-season, Leeds United today confirmed on the club’s official site that Luke Ayling has had surgery on a ankle injury. He therefore will not travel for tomorrow’s friendly with Cagliari of Serie A, and the surgery “will see the full-back sidelined for a period”.

While he will miss the early matches of the season, the injury is not expected to be long-term. However, we have heard that about players before so until he is back on the pitch the fans will be understandably worried.

The injury leaves Leeds short at right-back, but also removes one of the back-up options at centre-back with a shortage of numbers in that position already a worry for many fans.

The absence will probably result in a run of starts for Stuart Dallas who deputised as both a right and left back last season and has played at right back throughout this pre-season. Marcelo Bielsa could also call upon Jamie Shackleton to drop in, as well as Bryce Hosannah and Robbie Gotts from the under 23s.