Leeds United: Dan James picks up muscle tear in Boro win
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00:00 Lee, here we are once again talking about Leeds United. Leeds did get back to winning
00:06 ways against Middlesbrough on Monday night. That was very important. It was a bit of a
00:10 thrilling game though. 4-3, not as comfortable as anyone in white would have wanted. But
00:16 that win did come at a bit of a cost to Dan James picking up an abdominal muscle injury,
00:22 which is not what he would have wanted with only two games left of the season. As I say,
00:27 the three points were very important for Leeds because it helps to pile the pressure on Ipswich.
00:33 Leicester, of course, they got the win against Southampton the night afterwards. So, you
00:37 know, they're getting towards automatic promotion. They've got a four-point gap on Leeds with
00:41 only two games to play. So if we look at Dan James' injury, what does that mean for the
00:46 squad for the last two games? You've got QPR and then Southampton. Obviously, he's not
00:51 going to be available for at least QPR. So how do Leeds cope?
00:55 Yes, well, we hope it's just two games left. We don't want to start saying it's two games
00:59 left and possibly a couple more on the end because we all know what that will mean. But
01:01 yes, let's keep our fingers crossed it is only two games left. It's definitely a big
01:05 blow losing Dan James. I think the thing you can think about, sort of your instinctive
01:09 thought on that injury is obviously it's a blow, but he's not starting at the moment.
01:13 So you'd almost think like, well, at least it's not someone who's starting. But that's
01:16 probably a bit unfair on Dan because he's had a fantastic season and he's very, very
01:22 important whether he starts or whether he comes off the bench. I mean, obviously, at
01:25 the moment, Krysenzio Samuels star man obviously occupies one of those wide slots and it's
01:29 almost been a case of James or Nonto for the other one. And at the moment, Nonto is banging
01:33 form isn't he? Another goal, obviously against Borough and a very, very good display from
01:36 him. So I think those two start basically. But Dan coming off the bench is, he's just
01:41 the sort of player you want coming off the bench as well with his pace, you know, against
01:44 defences when they're possibly a bit tired and stuff. And crucially, with Dan James this
01:48 season, the thing he's added to his game in droves, his end products, has always been
01:51 lightning quick. There's never been any doubt about that. He's always had good skill. But
01:55 it was always just about getting that sort of, you know, that end product, like I say,
01:58 and the numbers speak for themselves. I mean, you sort of forget that he's Leeds' top scorer
02:01 this season in the league, you know, which is some going really. 13 goals, only second
02:05 to star man Somerville, seven assists in there as well. So that just shows how important
02:10 he is. And he would have been very, very important, I think, for these last two games, but well,
02:14 hopefully last two games. But I mean, you know, hopefully Leeds can get the job done
02:17 without him. Certainly, you know, fulfil their end of the bargain, obviously, as we'll come
02:20 to in a minute. It also depends on what Ipswich do. You know, you think Leeds would probably
02:24 need to win the last two games and then just sort of cross their fingers and pray that
02:28 results go, one result at least, goes their way. But what it does do is, I would say,
02:32 it opens up a big opportunity for Jadon Anthony, who obviously signed for the club on loan
02:38 from Bournemouth, has done promotion before with Bournemouth and is a very, very good
02:42 player in his own right. I think when Leeds signed him, I sort of had really high hopes
02:46 for him and thought he could be like someone who could have, you know, a massive, massive
02:49 impact in terms of like hopefully driving the team to promotion. And he's had it in
02:53 sort of fits and spurts, but hasn't, you know, he's never really had a solid run in the team.
02:57 He's obviously also had, you know, an awful lot to do with personally with, you know,
03:00 the sort of passing of his mum, which was obviously very, very, very sad. And Leeds
03:03 gave him a lot of time with that, as you would expect and stuff. So, you know, this does
03:06 open up an opportunity for him. And I suppose he would now be the first port of call, looking
03:10 at the bench in terms of bringing someone on out wide, obviously, if it's not really
03:14 happening and stuff, maybe with Nantes or whatever. So, here's a blow for Dan James.
03:18 Obviously, we'll wait and see how long he's out for. I mean, the only news we got straight
03:22 away on it didn't look good, obviously, at Borough when he was there at the end getting
03:25 treatment. A costal cartilage injury, an oblique abdominal muscle tear is the sort of phrase.
03:30 I mean, I'm not a medical expert, so I don't know exactly what that entails, but it doesn't
03:34 sound particularly great, you've got to say. And just even by those words, you would think
03:37 like, you know, it'd probably be more than just QPR away he will miss. But we'll keep
03:41 our fingers crossed for him. And if that is, you know, his last game of the season that
03:45 he's had now and he doesn't play again this season, you would just say to him, well done
03:49 on a fantastic season. I mean, obviously, you know, he came back from his loan spell
03:52 at Fulham and whatnot, and he's just really, really excelled. He's definitely been one
03:57 of Leeds' best players, better players this season. And, you know, you just hope that
04:01 well, firstly, you hope that he comes back sooner than you think. But secondly, you hope
04:04 that when he does come back, he once again gets another crack at the Premier League with
04:08 Leeds back in the top five. That's all you hope for. But yeah, well done to him. He's
04:11 had a fantastic season. So, it's a shame, but it does open the door for Jadon Anthony
04:14 and they've got a very, very good player there who can come on and do stuff I think if needed.