Willy Gnonto’s injury won’t have a huge impact on Leeds after his “slow start” to the Championship season, according to Paul Robinson.
As reported by Leeds Live (25 September), the Italian was forced off the pitch in the opening 20 minutes of the Whites’ 0-0 away clash against Hull City with an ankle issue, with Daniel Farke confirming the 19-year-old must undergo surgery on a bone.
With the forward out until after the October international break, Leeds will be a man down in terms of attacking options, with Gnonto making five Championship appearances this season after his controversial attempts to exit the club this summer.
Robinson had mooted the impact of the injury, suggesting a setback to the likes of Joel Piroe or Georginio Rutter “would have been more of a blow.”
Speaking exclusively to MOT Leeds News, Robinson said: “He’s not hit the levels that we would expect him to have hit yet. Obviously getting injured now has sidelined him for a while.
“The distractions and the way he behaved in the window to try and get the move, I think all that’s added up to a slow start to the season for him and he was just getting back to the levels that you would expect.
His attitude seems to be right and he seems to be training right and getting back into the team – then he’s been hit with an injury.
“I think if Piroe or Rutter would have been injured, then it would have been more of a blow. Now they’ve got them in the squad, if they were to lose one or either of those two it would be a huge blow.V
