Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke has confirmed that defender Joe Rodon will miss the club’s upcoming fixtures, including the English Premier League New Year’s Day trip to Liverpool, after suffering an ankle ligament injury against Sunderland on Sunday, December 28.
Rodon was forced off in the second half, and initial fears suggested the injury could be serious, but further assessment has provided a more positive outlook.
Speaking in his press conference, Farke explained that Rodon is expected to be out for around three weeks.
“He will definitely miss the Liverpool game. The diagnosis is better than we were fearing straight after the game. It didn’t look good, but the assessment is ankle ligament injury and normally for such an injury you would be out for around three weeks,” Farke said.
The Leeds boss added that the Welsh international will sit out the next run of fixtures across competitions, including the FA Cup.
“It’s realistic that he will miss the next [three] league games, including also the FA Cup game and hopefully the other side of that we’ll have him back.”
Joe Rodon’s incredible streak
Rodon’s absence brings an end to an impressive streak of reliability for Leeds. The Wales international had featured in 104 consecutive league matches for Leeds, with his last missed game coming back in October 2023.
That run of appearances put him within touching distance of a long-standing club record. He was closing in on Leeds legend Norman Hunter’s record of 113 successive league games, set between 1962 and 1965, but will now fall short due to the injury.
The setback leaves Leeds slightly short in central defence as the club enters a challenging period of fixtures.
Farke has recently shifted to a back three at times, and Rodon has been a key figure in that shape. Without him, Leeds may need to adjust tactically or rely on rotation to get through the next few weeks.
Players like Sebastiaan Bornauw, Sam Byram, James Justin and Ethan Ampadu are likely to come into consideration as Farke looks for solutions.
For now, Leeds will have to cope without one of their most consistent performers as they prepare for Liverpool and a demanding spell to start the new year.
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