Leeds United have been dealt another injury blow, and it could spell the end of a career at Elland Road.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to Beren Cross, who, writing for Leeds Live, details an injury suffered by Diego Llorente whilst in Spain.

Having fractured his hand in an unfortunate accident, the 29-year-old was forced to undergo surgery to rectify the issue.

Although the Spaniard is expected to be back in training before the end of the camp, it could be the final straw for Jesse Marsch as he potentially seeks an opportunity to finally bin off a man who has suffered from several injuries since his move to Yorkshire.

Marsch can get rid

Although Patrick Bamford, who has recently undergone surgery too, is also an injury-prone asset, he has at least shown that if fit he can offer plenty to this side.

During his last full season, which was coincidentally their return campaign in the Premier League, he scored a sensational 17 times and assisted eight too.

The 29-year-old played a huge role in their impressive ninth-place finish during that 2020/21 season,

Meanwhile, Llorente has often been scolded for his poor defensive work with his performances far below that of his teammate. Indeed journalist Adam Crafton on one occasion just last season labelled his defending as “absolutely shocking”.

This has been proved by his lack of game time this campaign, as despite playing every minute of their opening six league fixtures, he has only featured once in their last eight games.

His average Sofascore rating is somewhat indicative of why he was dropped, as it has settled at a disappointing 6.69. Having made two errors that led to goals, it is clear that Marsch feels he cannot trust him despite his 3.1 clearances and 2.1 interceptions per game, via Sofascore.

For all the defensive work he might get through, there is always a worry that he will lose concentration and cost his team.

It is for this reason that Leeds could look to offload him instead of Bamford, who when fit can lead the club to achieve great things.

Even when Llorente is fit, he is unlikely to be instrumental in anything truly special occurring at Elland Road, especially given how far down the pecking order he has fallen.