Leeds United have been dealt a fresh injury blow, in the wake of a truly successful January transfer window…
What’s the latest?
That’s according to The Athletic journalist Phil Hay, who took to Twitter to claim that the red-hot Rodrigo has been ruled out for the foreseeable future.
The tweet simply stated: “Leeds suffer Rodrigo blow with forward out for up to two months”.
His corresponding article expands upon the details, noting that the knock was sustained in their 3-1 FA Cup victory over Accrington Stanley last weekend. The Spaniard is now set to miss one of the busiest periods of the year as he rehabilitates from the bone and ligament damage suffered to his ankle.
Marsch must unleash Rutter
The only fortunate outcome from this situation is that it will now offer a platform for Georginio Rutter to earn some vital experience in the Premier League, although Jesse Marsch would have hoped it would have been under better circumstances.
He signed the Frenchman in January as one of his four new additions, breaking the club-record transfer fee to lure him to Elland Road. The 20-year-old also made his Whites debut in the aforementioned cup match, in which he looked a threat but missed two big chances.
Should he be seen as the natural successor to Rodrigo, he will need to turn these opportunities into goals to make up for the absence of the 31-year-old, who is the club’s top scorer this season by some way, with his tally of 12 goals comfortably ahead of the next closest with four.
Furthermore, his relentless work rate is integral to upholding Marsch’s philosophy and initiating the press which is so synonymous with the manager’s playing style. At the very least, this is an area where Rutter will likely not falter.
Upon the transfer being completed last month, Marsch detailed what fans could expect to see from their club-record arrival, stating: “He has flexibility. When you look at most players, they are right or left foot dominated. Georginio is 50-50, maybe the most two-footed I have ever seen. He can play as a striker, wide player or second striker.”
The American continued: “I have known him for a while and he was someone I watched at Leipzig. He’s a guy who I think is an explosive, talented footballer and a player with a lot of potential. We have done our homework and found out relatively quickly what a good person he is and what a hard worker he is”.
With just two goals and two assists in the Bundesliga this season before joining Leeds, perhaps a move to England to play alongside a higher calibre of teammate will help to take his game to new heights when he is most needed.
With the Whites just one point outside the relegation zone, the £35k-per-week finisher must now step up in his team’s time of need and help fire them to safety in the absence of their most potent marksman.
