NafisaLeeds United have been handed a major defensive blow ahead of their trip to Brighton, with Daniel Farke forced to prepare for a lengthy spell without one of his most important players.
The Whites have made a solid start to life back in the Premier League, taking four points from their opening two matches and showing plenty of encouragement under Farke.
But their momentum has now been disrupted by an injury that leaves the Leeds boss with a significant problem to solve at the back.
Rodon was forced off during the draw with Brentford after suffering a hamstring problem, and Farke has now confirmed the severity of the setback.
“Yes bad news,” said the German head coach in the pre-Brighton press conference.
“Joe has a hamstring injury. He will be out for, at the moment, an assessment of eight to 10 weeks so he will definitely not play before the next international break.
“Also, probably not the first games after the international break. Of course, a big blow for us because he is a key player for us.
“But it is football and sometimes you have to deal also with injuries. He will definitely miss, yeah, the next eight to 10 weeks, probably.”
The news means Leeds will have to cope without Rodon for a substantial portion of the opening months of their Premier League campaign.
The defender had established himself as an important figure in Farke’s side, making the timing of the injury particularly frustrating after Leeds had started the season with an impressive victory away at Nottingham Forest before holding Brentford to a draw at Elland Road.
Farke will now have to assess his defensive options as Leeds head to the south coast for what already promised to be a difficult encounter.
The Whites have not beaten Brighton away from home since 2009 and have failed to score on their last eight visits, making the latest injury setback even more concerning.
Brighton themselves have made a mixed start to the campaign.
The Seagulls opened their season with a convincing 4-0 victory over Aston Villa before suffering a dramatic 4-3 defeat against Chelsea in their previous Premier League outing.
Despite that defeat, Farke has been impressed by the work being done by his fellow German Fabian Hurzeler, who is now entering his third season as Brighton head coach.
Farke believes the identity of the Brighton side remains clear despite the significant number of new players who have arrived at the Amex Stadium.
“The DNA is still there, the same manager, the same processes and the same same style of play. I think they are quite similar,” Farke added.
“Of course, players always influence the game, and if players with different skills come in, it changes also the game a little bit. But overall, I see the same handwriting.
“They’ve played especially a really good second half of last season. Qualified for Europe, impressive start to the season.
“Fabian has done a fantastic job there, and we travel also very respectful, knowing our record away at Brighton is also not perfect in the last years, so we have to be at our very best in order to be competitive.”
Brighton have brought in 11 permanent signings since the end of last season, meaning Hurzeler has had to integrate a significantly reshaped squad.
However, Farke does not expect those changes to fundamentally alter the way his countryman’s team approaches matches.
That could make Saturday’s fixture particularly demanding for Leeds, especially with Rodon’s absence leaving the manager with another defensive selection headache.
For all the optimism surrounding Leeds’ unbeaten start, the trip to Brighton represents their biggest test yet.
Farke knows his side will need to improve on a record that has been particularly poor at the Amex in recent years, while Brighton will be eager to respond after their narrow defeat at Stamford Bridge.
And with Rodon now expected to miss eight to 10 weeks, Leeds will have to find a way of maintaining their strong start without one of the key defensive assets Farke had hoped to rely on throughout the early stages of the campaign.
Nafisa
