The Welsh forward has been a key figure for Leeds this season.He joined the club in a massive £25 million deal in 2021, after a rough two years with Manchester United.
During that period, he established himself in the Wales national squad, albeit he did not have much success at Elland Road.
James spent the majority of last year on loan at Fulham, when Leeds were relegated to the Championship.Given his transfer fee, it did not appear that James would be successful.However, his turnaround this season has been spectacular, and the Welshman has established himself as a crucial member of Daniel Farke’s promotion-chasing squad.However, he recently suffered an injury, which could jeopardise their title hopes.
James’ injury will be a huge loss for Leeds
Leeds revealed that James sustained an injury during their 4-3 win over Middlesbrough on Monday. The attacker had a costal cartilage injury and an oblique abdominal muscle rupture after only nine minutes of action at the Riverside Stadium, as reported by the club.
They stated that James will miss Friday’s encounter against QPR, which is crucial in their promotion chase.Leeds are now one point ahead of Ipswich in the league, with the Tractor Boys having a game in hand on the Yorkshire side.
Losing James for that match will be a significant setback for the Whites. He has played 40 league matches for Leeds and has been a significant contributor.
He has started or been a substitute in every match, scoring 13 goals and assisting six times.
So far in the Championship, the Welshman is the club’s second highest scorer, trailing only Joel Piroe and Patrick Bamford in goals. While his replacement, Wilfried Gnoto, has nine goals of his own, his productivity has not been as good as James’ on the right side, and will represent a decrease in quality when they meet QPR later this week.
According to FootMob, James is a top scorer and assister among his position players. His 1.84 crosses per 90 minutes rank him in the top 5% of players, and his 57 opportunities created outnumber more than 90% of right-wingers in the division.
| Dan James Championship stats for Leeds United – FotMob | |
| Appearances | 40 |
| Goals | 13 |
| Assists | 6 |
| Crosses Completed | 51 |
| Chances Created | 57 |
| Shots on target per 90 mins | 1.19 |
It opens the door for Ipswich to leapfrog Leeds into second place
The loss of James provides an opportunity for Ipswich to gain promotion to the Premier League.
James may not have been at his best in recent weeks, but with his pace and direct attacking threat, he is always capable of scoring or creating opportunities for his teammates.
With QPR battling relegation, they will do anything it takes to win on Friday at Loftus Road.
Meanwhile, Ipswich have an extra game to play than Leeds. With two more matches for Leeds and three for Ipswich, the Tractor Boys lead the promotion race. They play Hull City over the weekend before travelling to Coventry in midweek.
This implies that by the time Leeds play their final match of the season, promotion could be out of reach. If Ipswich wins both matches and QPR beats Leeds, they will have a five-point lead and can celebrate their promotion to the Premier League.
This necessitates Leeds’ victory at QPR, which has been made even more difficult by Dan James’ injury.
Ipswich will be relieved to see James off the pitch for Leeds, since this provides them the best opportunity of gaining promotion at the end of the season.
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