Wales star James suffers rib and abdominal injury
WALES star Dan James has been forced onto the sidelines in the latest setback for promotion-hunting Leeds United.
The Whites confirmed the winger will miss their next game after he suffered a rib and abdominal injury in their last Championship outing.
The club said in a statement: “Leeds United can confirm winger Dan James suffered a costal cartilage injury and an oblique abdominal muscle tear during Monday’s 4-3 Sky Bet Championship victory over Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium.
“As a result, the 26-year-old will be unavailable for Friday’s trip to Loftus Road, where the Whites take on Queens Park Rangers.”
The Welsh international will be a big miss for the Yorkshire side, having played more than 40 games for the Whites this season, scoring 13 goals and registering seven assists.
Leeds have been seeking automatic promotion back to the Premier League following relegation last term, but recent results this month haven’t gone entirely their way - although they did get back on track with a win over Boro.
So far in April, they have lost two of their five games, against Blackburn Rovers and Coventry City.
Before the Rovers game they hadn’t lost in the Championship since a 1-0 defeat to West Brom at the end of December.
Now Daniel Farke’s side sit only one point clear of Ipswich Town, who have one game in hand, meaning the Elland Road outfit are no longer in control of their own fate.
All of the top sides have dropped points in recent games, with Leicester City suffering successive defeats before they smashed Southampton, with the Saints dropping out of the automatic promotion race entirely.
Leeds’ remaining two games of the season are against 18th-placed QPR, followed by fourth-placed Saints on the last day of the campaign.
With their automatic promotion hopes now out of their own hands, taking two wins from two is a nonnegotiable for Leeds who will be hoping to avoid the lottery of the playoffs.
Fellow Welshman Connor Roberts will also miss the next game against the Hoops having struggled with a muscle injury since returning from the international break, but he may yet be available for the final fixture.
Pascal Struijk is a long-term absentee following groin surgery for an injury he picked up on Boxing Day.