Leeds United are hoping Ilia Gruev will return to the fold sooner rather than later after two painfully difficult matches without their Bulgarian centrepiece.
Ilia Gruev was at Elland Road on Easter Monday. The stricken Leeds United midfielder was spotted drifting through the John Charles Stand’s media centre with a club official pre-match.
Sadly, his civvies quickly killed any momentary hope he could be in the picture against Hull City. If you’re looking for crumbs of comfort, you can at least be reassured Gruev has not needed to jet away anywhere for lengthy or specialist treatment.
Of the three internationals to return with injury issues, Gruev has been the only one not ruled out for several guaranteed weeks. Another little crumb for us.
While Wilfried Gnonto and Connor Roberts have been virtually ruled out until the trip to Middlesbrough on April 22, Daniel Farke has left the door open to Gruev returning sooner. After the draw at Watford on Good Friday, the German did not even rule out the 23-year-old from making the Easter Monday match.
As it was, Gruev was not included, but it at least shows the kind of timelines Farke and the medical team are working to. Everyone will have their fingers crossed for a return to the fold on Saturday at Coventry City.
They certainly need him. Gruev has gone from being a fringe name barely getting five minutes at the end of games in 2023 to one of the first names on the teamsheet when fit. It is not a coincidence his rise has coincided with United’s 2024 form.
For all of his immense potential and abundant versatility, Archie Gray cannot yet replicate what Gruev does in what Farke calls the ‘deep six’ position. It neither helped that Hull are a good possession side anyway nor how little Gray and Glen Kamara have played together in the engine room.
Kamara was also ill, as it goes. They were sadly exposed too often for comfort and a lot fell on the shoulders of Joe Rodon and Ethan Ampadu in central defence. Ampadu in defence is the other crucial factor in Gruev’s presence.
Not only did Gruev step into the breach after Pascal Struijk’s injury and match Ampadu’s reliability in midfield, but his dependability has allowed Farke to fully embed the stand-in skipper at defence. The manager has been allowed the faith to hone that partnership between Ampadu and Rodon at the back without fear of Gruev suddenly falling away in front of them.
Of course, the former Werder Bremen midfielder is not single-handedly responsible for the meat of this run of form, but he has been a key component that unlocks so much else around him. The concessions from open play have, of course, restarted in Gruev’s absence too.
If Gruev is there, Rodon and Ampadu have less to deal with in front of them. They can focus on what’s around them in their vicinity, knowing Gruev is going to enforce matters before the opposition hits the penalty box.
Having him back on Saturday will ease the burden across those rear-most six positions in the team. If Sam Byram needs to manage his load, Gray would be free to return to right-back or if Kamara has failed to shake his illness, he could sit out without leaving the team short.
Can ankle ligaments be transplanted? We could offer a sacrifice if he comes through the media suite again during Farke’s press conference tomorrow.
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