Leeds United defender Pascal Struijk may need to undergo season-ending surgery on his groin injury, Daniel Farke has confirmed.
The 24-year-old hasn’t played since the 2-1 defeat to Preston on Boxing Day with the groin issue keeping him sidelined for the last three months.
The Leeds manager confirmed that the defender is yet to return to training and may need to undergo a medical procedure on the issue that will see him miss the remainder of the season.
Farke said: “With Pascal Struijk, some bad news, progress to come back into team training was not possible. It’s a bit complicated situation with him – he’s got a cartilage injury and there are always two ways to treat this injury.
“Either you go for surgery, if we do this he’s out for the season, or the conservative route and go for injection therapy. The doctors hoped this would be beneficial for him.
“We had to go this route, the cartilage needs some healing, it has progressed but the next 10 days will be decisive.”
Struijk, who joined the club from Ajax in 2018 before progressing through Leeds’ youth academy, has made 25 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring five goals.
The defender, who has worn the captain’s armband on several occasions this season, underwent a double hernia operation in November.
Leeds are second in the Championship, three points off league leaders Leicester City. They face Millwall at Elland Road on Sunday.
GO DEEPER
Leeds are confident they have no PSR issues like Leicester’s – only focus is promotion
(George Wood via Getty Images)
