Ethan Ampadu has made it clear that one Leeds United teammate is already back to a high level behind the scenes, with Dan James now standing out in training after a disrupted season.
James has endured a frustrating season with injury, missing the last couple of months before finally returning to action at the start of February. He’s not started a league game since losing to Man City.
Now, James will be hoping to play a part in Wales’ play-off semi-final against Bosnia this week, with a place in the World Cup at stake. Without doubt, Leeds skipper Ampadu will be starting for the Welsh.
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Speaking on Wales duty, Ampadu delivered a clear verdict on James’ current level as he works his way back. It’s always difficult with injuries, I had that last year. Here, at Leeds, we have that together mentality.
“It’s been frustrating to see, for him. But when he’s been back and now, he’s flying in training. He’s doing really well. He’ll just want to get minutes under his belt and show everyone what we know he can do.”
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James’ absence this season is explained by a run of setbacks that have limited his involvement for long periods. He has missed 87 days and 15 games, which underlines the scale of disruption to his campaign.
Wales v Armenia: Grouo D - UEFA EURO 2024 Qualifying Round
Photo by Athena Pictures/Getty Images
Those figures show that his lack of minutes has not been tactical but enforced, with repeated issues preventing any sustained run in the side.
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Ampadu’s reference to a together mentality offers a clear insight into how Leeds have approached James’ situation. The focus has been maintaining standards in training while ensuring he returns at the top level.
This approach aligns with Ampadu’s own experience of injury, reinforcing that the squad handles these periods collectively rather than isolating individuals.
Only minutes now stand between James and impact
The message from inside the squad is that performance levels are already in place, with James now showing his quality consistently on the training pitch.
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He is now fit and healthy now and ready to go, and as Ampadu put it, he simply needs to get minutes under his belt to translate that into matches.
This positions James not as a player rebuilding from injury, but as one waiting for opportunity after already reaching the required level internally.
Leeds do not appear to have any doubts about what James will bring once he is back in the side, with his training form already setting the standard and his return now a matter of minutes rather than readiness.
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