Gabriel Gudmundsson opens up on Leeds United injury return ahead of Crystal Palace — YEP 20/9/26

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By Kyle Newbould

The Leeds United defender is back fit and firing after recovering from a pre-season hamstring injury.

Leeds United defender Gabriel Gudmundsson admits it feels ‘so good’ to be back fit after missing the start of the season through injury.

Gudmundsson suffered a muscle injury during Leeds’ summer friendly win over Liverpool in August, missing the end of pre-season and early weeks of the new campaign. The 27-year-old got his first minutes at Brighton, playing the full 90 in a demanding 1-1 draw.

The left-back also started Monday’s 4-1 win over Newcastle United before being substituted around the 70-minute mark in some discomfort. Manager Daniel Farke said it was merely cramp after full-time and reiterated that point on Friday.

Gudmundsson is therefore expected to get his third Premier League start of the season this afternoon when Leeds host Crystal Palace. And the Swede admits a good period of recovery has helped him to hit the ground running.

“Obviously I didn’t have the chance to build up energy for the season, to get the training load in,” Gudmundsson said in an interview published in Sunday’s match programme. “But I think I had a really good time with the rehab coaches.

“To be available quickly and feeling fit in the way that I can feel fit at the moment, it is so good. It was not the thing you want when you’re are coming back after a long holiday and the World Cup.

“You obviously hope to get straight back in with the team and to get the body going again but that is football. It is part of the game sometimes.”

Gudmundsson also missed periods with injury last season but they were minor, with the left-back featuring in Premier League games during his debut campaign in West Yorkshire. And after getting over his pre-season issue, the wing-back will hope to match or better that tally.

“I played lots last season,” he added. “We are also very lucky to have a very good rehab team behind us to make sure that we can come back quickly and in the best physical way.”

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