Mateo Joseph is currently undergoing rehabilitation on his knee
Mateo Joseph is currently undergoing rehabilitation on his knee
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Some Leeds United supporters may be forgiven for forgetting that Mateo Joseph is still in the building, so to speak. The striker is currently out of sight.
Having suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury while on loan at Mallorca in April, Joseph has been undergoing rehabilitation back at Leeds. Such setbacks never have a quick fix.
“Fingers are crossed and best of luck of course to Mateo because when there's such a serious injury all our hopes and support are with the player,” said Daniel Farke shortly after the news came to light.
Such injuries can typically take the best part of a year to heal, the average recovery time being around nine months. So Joseph is unlikely to make any type of return until 2027. Yet the reality is he might not play again for Leeds.
Joseph has been named in the club’s Premier League squad list, with two spaces still left empty due to both the size of the squad and Jean-Matteo Bahoya not needing to be named due to him being 21.
However, last year’s strike action has placed a wedge between his chances of playing again for Leeds; Joseph refused to join the squad for pre-season training in Germany as he pushed for a move away, eventually joining Mallorca.
The attacker failed to start a league game for United after December 2024 during the club’s 2024/25 Championship title-winning promotion campaign, and only enjoyed five minutes in the final seven games of the season.
“He came to me and said that he wants a new challenge and would like to have a move,” Farke said of Joseph at the time. “If this is your wish, as a manager I won't stand in the way and accept this because I just want players who want to be here.
Mateo Joseph of Leeds United
Mateo Joseph of Leeds United(Image: Getty Images)
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“I have also spoken openly and honestly with him about the situation and have strongly recommended to say, until the situation is sorted, to do the job and to be professional.”
Joseph himself published a statement on his social media profile, in which he said: “Maybe one day I’ll have the chance to tell my side of the story”. He would later do so, insisting that Farke said it “was fine if I didn’t go” to pre-season.
Joseph told The Athletic: “Ultimately, I consider myself an honest person, and I want that to be reflected when people talk about me… The most important thing is to have a clear conscience, and I have a very clear conscience that I gave it my all.”
The suffering of his ligament injury was untimely and awkward for all parties. If not for his setback, Joseph would have been a player earmarked alongside Joe Gelhardt and Jack Harrison for a potential sale this summer.
The player himself would have almost certainly looked for pastures new, having dropped several hints throughout his time at Mallorca. And Farke recently confirmed he was not in his plans going forward.
He said: “Those not in the squad in pre-season are not in the plans for this season. It makes no sense to reinvolve someone who was not involved in our plans last season.”
Of course, given Joseph still has a contract at Leeds until 2028, the club has a duty of care to ensure the forward gets back up to full speed.
Joseph has posted several updates on his social media channels since returning to England, including shots of him in Leeds gear in the gym.
A post from August showed clips of him undergoing rehabilitation work, with the caption: “Getting closer, getting stronger. It’s mental.”
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The situation is headed towards a juncture when Joseph returns. An exit seems inevitable but prospective clubs will wish to gauge what levels he is playing at after so long on the touchline - but game time does not look like it will come in the Leeds first team.
Under-21s football could be the skewed shop window for Joseph, yet this is hardly ideal. A loan in January might have been the best port of call but there is no guarantee he will be fit then, and a loan club would still be taking a gamble.
At the same time, Leeds will not wish to allow a soon-to-be 23-year-old leave for a pittance, given his stock was once far above the £1m paid to Espanyol for him in January 2022. Leeds rejected a £10m bid from Real Betis for him in January 2025.
Something has to give and someone will have to bite the bullet. It creates a rather murky picture for Joseph once he has fully recovered.
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