Leeds’ Pascal Struijk out for the season
The Yorkshire Evening Post’s Lee Sobot reacts to the news that Leeds United man Pascal Struijk will not return from injury before the end of the season having been out since December.
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00:00 There has been some injury issues though, of course, Pascal Streich being confirmed
00:06 that he's going to have surgery, so that's pretty much his season over with only seven
00:11 or eight games left. That's a frustration for Daniel Farker. What's your take on it,
00:16 Lee?
00:17 Yeah, a massive shame really. I mean, it's just one of those things where you just, I
00:19 suppose, hope it could have been sorted out in a different way and got resolved sooner.
00:22 Obviously, you know, they tried to, you know, they were rumming and harring about sort of
00:25 sending him for surgery and you can understand why they didn't, because obviously they knew
00:28 that surgery would probably end his season and that's going to be the case. And yeah,
00:32 and Daniel Farker provided the update at his pre-match press conference ahead of the Watford
00:36 game saying, you know, that the decision had been made to send him for surgery and that
00:39 did end his season. It's a huge shame for Pascal because, you know, he was without doubt
00:43 one of the best performers this season. It's amazing to think that that game on Boxing
00:47 Day at Preston was his last outing, you know, I mean, obviously he came through the full
00:50 game there and, you know, obviously didn't see many issues. Then we got the news that
00:54 there was an injury, but it was this, you know, groin adductor thing and not something
00:57 that seemed to, like, they were particularly worried would keep him out for a long time.
01:00 And it's just one of those things that's just kind of like gone on and on and on. And hence
01:03 why I sort of say, you know, like they probably thought like, well, you know, we'll get it
01:06 treated and there were injections and, you know, various bits and bobs of treatment.
01:09 But ultimately, you know, surgery has been the way forward and look, at least that draws
01:13 a line under it now and you know that the issue is resolved. And obviously the unfortunate
01:17 thing is that he's now out for the season and it was very quick to go on to social media
01:21 and like put a post about it, sort of saying, you know, naturally disappointed, of course
01:24 he's going to be, but they'd be sort of supporting the team, you know, from the sidelines. And
01:28 you got this, I think was his phrase at the end, you know, sort of like expressing confidence
01:32 that the lads can get over the line without him. And the sort of one like major saving
01:38 grace of this is obviously the fact that Pascal's obviously been out is the partnership at the
01:42 back that you've had between Ethan Ampadu and Joe Robben, who I've said on there before,
01:46 they're like literally like, you know, the Welsh brick wall at the back, you know. So,
01:50 I mean, I wouldn't, you know, sort of like be as disrespectful to say Pascal's not being
01:53 missed because he's a great player, you know, but I mean, obviously the fact that those
01:56 two have done so well, sort of like, you know, has kind of like just shored things up at
02:00 the back anyhow. So what it does mean though, is it does leave him a little bit lighter
02:03 of options. So like if anything was to happen to one of those two, or even obviously Ampadu
02:07 has to step into midfield, which could, you know, could well be the case given injuries.
02:11 You then got Liam Cooper to come in at centre back and obviously we know he's been there
02:14 before and won promotion with Leeds and there's also Charlie Creswell, of course, at centre
02:18 back. So yeah, again, you know, all this does again, really, is it just emphasises Leeds
02:22 United's squad strength and depth, which is absolutely what's needed. But yeah, without
02:27 a doubt, like, I mean, would have been better off with Pascal in the mix, no doubt about
02:31 that. It saves Daniel Farker a big selection headache, I think, because I don't know what
02:35 he'd have done with when Pascal was back, considering how well those two have done at
02:39 centre back. But yeah, all the best to Pascal. He's again a tough character, he's had injuries
02:45 before and setbacks before and always bounced back. And again, someone who's still relatively
02:48 young and still progressing. And, you know, you just hope that by the time he's back,
02:52 which will obviously be pre-season, his team will be in the Premier League. And yeah, let's
02:56 hope that's the case. And, you know, I think it probably will be.
02:58 [BLANK_AUDIO]