Ampadu, Bamford & Wöber: Leeds United injury news and return dates ahead of West Brom

Championship leaders Leeds United will hope to maintain their five-point buffer at the top of the table when they welcome play-off contenders West Bromwich Albion to Elland Road in an early kick-off on Saturday – but Daniel Farke may be missing as many as three key players in what could prove to be a challenging match in the push for promotion.

Ethan Ampadu was a surprise absentee during the eventual 3-1 over second-placed Sheffield United on Monday, and Farke provided an update on his condition ahead of this weekend’s game in his pre-match press conference – we’ve got details of Ampadu’s injury below along with all the rest of the team news and the stricken players’ expected return dates.

Ampadu out as Leeds swerve surgery

Captain Ampadu missed out on Monday after suffering a knee cartilage injury in training, his second significant knee problem of the campaign – and Farke told the assembled media that he was “fifty fifty” to feature again this season. Despite some initial reports suggesting that Ampadu was set for season-ending surgery, Farke has now confirmed that the Welshman will instead undergo rehabilitation “after a few consultations”.

Describing this as the “conservative route” to managing Ampadu’s fitness, it means that he will be out for four to six weeks and will almost certainly not be back in training until after the March international break. All going to plan, Ampadu would then be back for the last few matches but Farke acknowledged that there was “always a chance [rehab] doesn’t work out and he would need the surgery in the end.”

On the subject of defensive players working their way back from persistent knee problems, centre-half Maximilian Wöber, who hasn’t played since the 3-3 draw against Hull City in early January, is still expected to be unavailable for at least three more weeks, with a late March return on the cards for the Austrian centre-back.

Bamford ‘struggling’ as suspension looms

Another important player who won’t feature against West Brom is striker Patrick Bamford, who has been out of action for nearly three months with a hamstring injury sustained in a 1-1 draw with Blacburn Rovers around the turn of the new year.

Bamford is yet to return to full training and Farke told the media that he is “struggling to give [us] a timeframe” after initial reports suggested that Bamford would be out for four to six weeks.

Bamford is currently doing light individual training as he works to regain full fitness, but while he is “desperate” to get back to playing he still has “a little awareness” of discomfort in the affected area. It is likely that he will be back relatively soon, but a precise return date remains elusive.

Leeds otherwise have a clean bill of health heading into the home straight of a tough Championship campaign, but there is also a looming concern over the availability of Jayden Bogle – the full-back has collected nine yellow cards this season and will receive a two-match suspension the next time he goes into the referee’s book. Should he pick that card up towards the very end of the season then any prospective punishment would not roll over into the play-offs, in case Leeds find themselves missing out on the top two.