It has been quite an uneventful international break for Leeds United players. A handful of them represented their countries in friendlies and World Cup qualifiers.
The performances were a mixed bag; there were standouts like Karl Darlow against Kazakhstan, and on the flip side, Jaka Bijol had a game to forget against Switzerland.
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Daniel Farke’s side are back in action this weekend, and are away to Fulham in the Premier League.
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Leeds United star national team saga continues
Credit: Imago
Bulgarian outlet Tema Sport reported over the weekend that Ilia Gruev was at the center of a team controversy. They claimed the midfielder harshly criticized both his teammates and the head coach following the defeat against Spain.
His strong comments about the team’s performance apparently upset many. Bulgaria’s head coach Illian Illiev then excluded Gruev from the squad for the match against Georgia, but the Football Association intervened and reinstated him. Illiev chose to keep Gruev on the bench for the game, only bringing him on as a substitute at halftime during the 3-0 loss to Georgia.
Illian Illiev has now addressed the reports of a scandal in the national team:
“Let the one who said there was a scandal explain. Do you think that if he had any problems, he would have been in the squad? After his injury, [he played] one of his strongest matches for the national team.” he said, speaking to local outlet Fakti.
“Understand me as you wish. I said what I said. The important thing is that – every profession is difficult, but especially ours is public. Despite the efforts made, you are still the most guilty of something,”
Injury could be a huge blow for Leeds
Considering the fact that he played 45 minutes with the knock, it does not look to be serious. However, he will be assessed when he returns to England. If the injury is serious, it will be a huge blow for Leeds who already have two midfielders injured. Ao Tanaka and Ethan Ampadu have been out since before the international break.
Daniel Farke has a tough task on his hands to select a midfield for the Fulham game if the injuries are extensive.
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