Soccer-Leeds striker Rodrigo sidelined for two months

(Reuters) – Leeds United top scorer Rodrigo Moreno has been ruled out of action for around two months with an ankle injury, the Premier League side said on Thursday.

A statement from Leeds said the Spanish striker, 31, suffered bone and ligament damage from a tackle in Saturday’s 3-1 win at Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup and underwent minor surgery to treat the problem, adding that he needed to be back playing. end of March.

Rodrigo has scored 10 Premier League goals this season, six more than Leeds’ second top scorer Crysencio Summerville, and his injury comes at the start of a test month for the club, which are 15th in the Premier League table after 19 games, sitting three places and one point above the relegation zone.

Leeds visit opponents Nottingham Forest on Saturday and then play rivals Manchester United twice in five days before playing against Everton and Southampton, the bottom two sides in the division.

The good news for Leeds manager Jesse Marsch is that Rodrigo’s absence coincides with the return of Patrick Bamford after a long injury absence and the arrival of French striker Georginio Rutter, who signed last month in from Hoffenheim for a club-record 36 million pounds ($44 million). ).

($1 = 0.8163 pounds)

(Reporting by Richard Martin; Editing by Toby Davis)