Rob Price, Leeds United’s head of health and performance, said he was impressed with Djed Spence’s attitude towards getting back in shape.
Price was speaking on the latest episode of Leeds United’s official podcast, where he provided an in-depth update on the recovery process awaiting Spence.
Spence has played just over 10 minutes of football for Leeds since his season-long loan from Tottenham Hotspur after suffering a knee injury in training during the international break.
Daniel Farke revealed after the 3-0 win over Millwall nine days ago that Spence will be sidelined for eight weeks after suffering a lateral knee ligament injury.
Having just signed for the club, the news comes as a blow to Leeds as he inches closer to being ready to make an impact on the team from the start.
With Price now set to work closely with Spence during his recovery, the Leeds doctor expects him to be among the “90%” returning within eight weeks and is impressed with his attitude him since he left hurt.
He say:
“Djed is really unhappy.
Last week, he struggled in practice, slipping and tearing the collateral ligament in his knee.
Ninety percent of them heal quite well within eight weeks.
We do some injections to try to promote healing in that area and we protect it and his recovery based on that.
“So he’s been here for a week now and we’re moving very slowly, but it’s a freak accident.
This could have happened to anyone.
He slipped and fell while competing in a challenge.
Someone fell on his leg and pushed it to the point where the ligaments couldn’t stand it and broke.
“But what I would say about him, as with all the players, is that his attitude of doing the right thing and making sure he is okay is the best thing.
We will develop it in the coming weeks.
We hope he is one of the 90% who arrive within eight weeks.
“If he doesn’t, we can do more than that, but you certainly wouldn’t do anything more at this stage when he has a good chance of being back with us in November.
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It is important not to rush Spence back into the team, but his return cannot come soon enough as he has so much to offer a team that is already performing well.
His dynamism on the right would give Leeds a new quality outlet in attack, but his pace would also make him a better defensive option than first choice currently Luke Ayling.