Leeds United Players on International Duty: Performance and Return Timelines
Several Leeds United players were active during the recent international break, with performances across various national teams. Here’s a roundup of how they fared and when they’re expected back at Thorp Arch:
Ilia Gruev played the full 90 minutes in both of Bulgaria’s UEFA Nations League matches—a 0-0 draw with Belarus and a 1-0 victory over Northern Ireland. The latter match took place on Sunday evening. Gruev is set to return to Leeds training later this week.
Karl Darlow made an unexpected debut for Wales in their 2-1 win over Montenegro on Monday evening. He is expected to return to Leeds training by Wednesday, ready to be assessed by manager Daniel Farke ahead of the weekend’s game against Burnley. Despite two full matches in quick succession, Darlow is anticipated to be fit to start.
Joe Rodon also played maximum minutes for Wales, featuring in the same fixtures as Darlow. He will fly back to the UK on Tuesday and resume training with Leeds on Wednesday.
Maximilian Wöber played in Austria’s 1-1 draw with Slovenia on Friday but was an unused substitute in their match against Norway on Monday. He is expected back in training by Wednesday.
Ethan Ampadu played 170 out of a possible 180 minutes for Israel in their UEFA Nations League losses to Belgium and Italy. After the final match, held in Hungary, he will fly back to Leeds on Tuesday and should be back in training by midweek.
Leeds United's squad of twelve internationals will trickle back to Thorp Arch in the coming days, ahead of their return to Championship action against Burnley this weekend.
Leeds players who were not called up for international duty enjoyed some downtime after their victory over Hull City but have since returned to training this week.
Due to various international fixtures, Daniel Farke will not have his full squad available until later in the week, although several players are expected to return in time for the majority of pre-Burnley preparations.
Charlie Crew, though yet to debut for Leeds, was promoted to the Welsh senior squad but rejoined the U21 setup to get game time. He is expected to feature in a match against Iceland on Tuesday night, and despite a tight schedule, should be fit to play against Burnley.
Mateo Joseph made a brief appearance for Spain’s U21s, playing 25 minutes in their win over Scotland. He has another potential appearance on Tuesday against Hungary.
Wilfried Gnonto was subbed off at halftime during Italy U21’s 7-0 win over San Marino as a precaution due to his yellow card. He is expected to return to the lineup when they face Norway on Tuesday.
Brenden Aaronson and the USMNT suffered a 2-1 loss to Canada on Saturday but are set to face New Zealand on Wednesday. Aaronson is likely to return to Leeds training by Friday.
Junior Firpo started as a forward for the Dominican Republic in their 3-2 win over Bermuda before moving back to left-back after a teammate’s red card. He is expected to play against Dominica on Tuesday and might not return to the UK until Thursday due to travel constraints.
With these players returning, Leeds United will have a mix of well-rested and battle-tested talents available for their upcoming match against Burnley.
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