Leeds United , Pascal Struijk move by Daniel Farke predicted
The Dutchman has emerged as a key player under Daniel Farke this season and regularly wore the captain’s armband before he was ruled out with a groin problem that has kept him sidelined since the end of December, having recovered surprisingly fast from a previous hernia absence.
In his place summer signing from Chelsea, Ethan Ampadu, has dropped back from midfield to feature alongside his international teammate Rodon at centre-back, with the Whites’ form outstanding ever since.
Robinson believes Farke has such excellent options to work with in a strong squad and it is a “dream” that will “never happen” for them all to be available at once, so there is likely to be an opportunity for Struijk to get back into the line up sooner rather than later at the back.
He exclusively told MOT Leeds News: “Whether he puts [Ilia] Gruev in there or [Glen] Kamara, or keeps Archie Gray at right-back or moves him into the midfield, Struijk coming back just gives the manager so many different options with squad strength and depth.
“We all talk about the Championship and how rigorous the fixtures are, and how many games there are. Every one of these players that we’re talking about is going to be utilised between now and the end of the season in various positions.
“For the manager to have everyone fit at the same time is almost a dream, and one that possibly will never happen. But to have Struijk back in there I don’t think it will be long before you see him and Rodon as a partnership again.”
Farke might feel like he can’t lose when selecting his partnerships in central defence and midfield, as Ampadu dropping back hasn’t seen the quality drop in either group with Gruev stepping in and maintaining standards.
It is difficult to fix something that isn’t broken so the manager may not want to immediately bring Struijk back into the line up while he is on such a strong run of victories since the start of 2024.
But as soon as there is an injury, suspension, or need for a rest among any of his current starters he will know he has another outstanding option ready to come back in.
