Djed Spence wasn’t involved at The Den as Leeds United saw off Millwall 3-0

Djed Spence is set for a spell on the sidelines, Leeds United manager Daniel Farke has confirmed. Farke revealed during his pre-match press conference on Friday that Spence had picked up a knee injury, casting doubt on whether he would be available to make a full debut for the Whites at Millwall on Sunday.

Spence missed the game in south London, meaning Luke Ayling got the nod once more and it seems the vice-captain could now have a clear run at right-back with his competition being sidelined. The Tottenham Hotspur loanee has damaged a ligament in his knee, meaning he will sit out the next few weeks at least.

The news comes as a big blow for Leeds and Spence, who looked the part during his cameo off the bench against Sheffield Wednesday before the international break.

“Yes, sad news with Spence because Djed has done his lateral ligaments,” Farke confirmed when speaking at The Den. “He will be out for several weeks so we wait for further assessment. It seems like no surgery is needed but we have to wait for the further assessment. He will definitely miss out the next weeks. We will have to wait but to give you a timeframe for this but he’s definitely out for a few weeks.”

Liam Cooper, who returned to training this week after a month in the treatment room, wasn’t involved at Millwall but Farke has moved to allay any fears of a setback.

“Liam is back in training and that’s definitely good news,” he added. “First time fully back in training it was on Thursday.

“We decided he is our skipper and we want to have him back as quick as possible with his experience, his quality, his influence also in the dressing room. But he was out for more than six weeks and then just two training sessions was not enough because we’ve also proper group. I think a few more days on the training pitch will be beneficial but I’m also quite sure that pretty soon he’s available also for the matchday squad.”

The manager has also given an update on Ethan Ampadu who picked up a knock during the final few minutes of the Whites’ 3-0 win: “Yeah, he took a knock but he’s also a fighter, so I hope it’s not too bad. I hope it’s just a bruise and he will be available. Now obviously is a quick turnaround.”