Leeds United have suffered more injuries than any side could ever fear in a promotion chasing campaign, and the true amount of games missed has got fans talking.
The Yorkshire Evening Post have tallied the number of matches each player has been forced to sit out, to reveal that Marcelo Bielsa has been unable to call on multiple members of his first-team for a combined 140 games.
They have not included the fixtures that Izzy Brown was forced to miss with the cruciate ligament rupture that he brought to Elland Road or the games that Kemar Roofe could now have to sit out, but the report does reveal that Gaetano Berardi has watched a team-high 24 matches from the sidelines.
Berardi’s figure only just eclipses Patrick Bamford’s 22 games, but could still rise before the centre-back is entirely fighting fit again as he continues to shake off his latest blow with the U23s.
While some players have missed the odd game here and there, one of the most significant additions to the combined total comes courtesy of Jamal Blackman, as the goalkeeper suffered that season-ending leg break earlier in the campaign.
The combined 140 games earned these responses on Twitter…
Should get sponsored by St John Ambulance.
— David (@BilliardsCue) February 19, 2019
Got to remember players are playing at a level of intensity they aren’t used to so there bodies are struggling plus usually these players season is over by now and they are thinking of summer holidays so to be in thick of a promotion race it must be a shock lol
— Kenneth Roy Brown (@kennybrown1964) February 19, 2019
Madness how we’re still up there! ????????????????????♂️
— Matt Hill (@MattyHill83) February 19, 2019
It’s insane
And you can’t blame the training because they’re not all pulls.— John O’Connor (@RollOverBhoy) February 19, 2019
Cursed
— Michael (@MickeyD44314901) February 19, 2019
140 missed games due to injuries!!!! That’s gotta be some kind of record
— Gaz Waller (@GazWaller52) February 19, 2019
As a precaution Bamford has signed a new 3 year contact with—————————BUPA ????????
— John Thorner (@SirRobinCatbush) February 19, 2019
That’s utterly ridiculous never known injury luck like it ????????
— Tom Johnson (@TommyJA3) February 19, 2019
Good job we invested in transfer window ????
— Paul (@LEYTONREECE) February 19, 2019