Pascal Struijk's next 10 days will decide if his Leeds United season is over

The centre-back and vice-captain has not played since Boxing Day because of an adductor injury which has proved more complicated than expected.

Manager Daniel Farke has revealed that after a further setback Struijk will be monitored closely over the international break to decide if he needs surgery after all.

"(There's) some good news with Jamie (Shackleton) and Jaden Anthony, both are back in team training and also available for the game (at home to Millwall) at the weekend," he said.

"With Pascal Struijk there's some bad new because to try and progress to get back into team training was not possible in recent days so the next 10 days will be decisive.

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"It's a bit of a complicated situation with him. To sum it up he's got a fibre cartilage injury and there are always two ways to treat this.

"Either you go for a surgery but that would have meant he's out for the whole season or you go the conservative route. The doctors recommended a conservative route, to go for injection therapy and they were quite hopeful this would be beneficial for him, and we could have been back in team training after the international break for the run-in.

"We had to go this route so the cartilage needs some healing and it has progressed really well but the last five per cent is missing.

"The next 10 days will be decisive to say either he is back in team training after the other side of the international break and capable to handle the load or we have him back for the run-in.

"Or we have to go the other way and he has to go for surgery and is out for the whole season but at least we have him back for pre-season.

"It's a bit of a complicated injury and difficult to judge the best way.

"It's difficult for Pascal because he's been out for a long time and in the beginning the injection therapy worked quite well but he has to make the last, final progress in the next few days, otherwise we have to go the other way."