Leeds United journalist Joe Donnohue has shared some details regarding Rodrigo and his recent injury blow.
On Thursday afternoon, the official Leeds Twitter account revealed that Rodrigo is set to be out of action for two months after picking up an ankle injury during the club’s recent FA Cup match against Accrington Stanley.
Looking ahead to the weekend, Jesse Marsch’s side will be returning to Premier League duty as they take on Nottingham Forest away from home on Sunday.
With the Whites now having to make do without their Spanish attacker for the next few weeks, some details have surfaced regarding this latest injury blow.
In a recent Twitter post, Donnohue had this to say on the situation surrounding Rodrigo and his injury.
He said: “Rodrigo has sustained ‘bone and ligament’ damage & is out for two months. Has undergone minor surgery on his ankle. Big blow for Jesse Marsch & Leeds to lose their top scorer. He’s been in excellent form this season. Step up, Rutter and Bamford. #lufc.”
This season has seen the 31-year-old show how much of a key attacking player he is for Leeds, specifically by scoring 12 goals in 22 appearances across all competitions.
With the highest average of shots per game (2.9) in the Premier League at the Yorkshire club, Rodrigo’s overall performances have earned him a season rating of 6.82/10 from WhoScored, making him the second-highest rated player at Leeds.
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Taking all of this into account, it’s clear that this injury blow to Rodrigo is a significant setback for the team from an attacking point of view, which is something that Marsch will have to deal with and find a solution for if he wants to see his team pick up as many points as possible while the Spaniard is out.
With Sunday’s match in mind, one positive that Leeds could take is the fact that Forest have faced 27 more shots at their goal than the Whites this season, which suggests how defensively vulnerable they can be, which may make it easier for the away side to pick up a victory even without Rodrigo.