Aston Villa Vs Leeds United: Noah Okafor ruled out after hamstring problem as aston villa vs leeds united live blog unavailable

Noah Okafor will miss the upcoming trip to Aston Villa after picking up a hamstring problem, sidelining him for between two and four weeks and altering plans for the aston villa vs leeds united fixture. A dedicated live blog for the match is currently unavailable with a notice that the blog is unavailable.

Aston Villa Vs Leeds United: hamstring injury came in FA Cup tie at Birmingham City

Okafor pulled up after a sprint during the second half of the FA Cup tie at Birmingham City and has been diagnosed with a hamstring problem. The issue is expected to keep him out of action for between two and four weeks, which explicitly rules him out of the trip to Aston Villa and the Elland Road clash with Manchester City at the very least.

Daniel Farke outlines why Okafor is vulnerable to muscle injuries

Leeds United boss Daniel Farke said he has spent the season trying to protect Okafor but cannot "wrap the winger in cotton wool. " Farke pointed to Okafor's physical profile, calling him "a tall and relatively heavy player, especially for an offensive player, " and highlighting how Okafor covers an "unbelievable high speed distance, many sprints, goes for one against one situations and is lightning quick. " Farke added that these types of players tend to be "a bit more vulnerable for muscle injuries, " and that when Okafor shows signs of tiredness he is substituted early because of his injury CV.

Season availability, past clubs and earlier groin problem

Okafor, the Swiss international, has been fit and available for all but one game this season. He has started 18 times for Leeds in all competitions and made 27 appearances in total. Early in the season a slight groin injury kept him out of the trip to Burnley, and he has extensive prior injury issues from his time at AC Milan and RB Salzburg. Despite his availability this season, he has only once started a game and stayed on the pitch to the full-time whistle.

Medical response, Thorp Arch work and the toll of January and February

Leeds' medical team, Farke's substitutions and Okafor's own work away from Thorp Arch with a sprint and conditioning coach have all been part of efforts to keep him fit. Farke described the current period as an occupational hazard: the workload is big, pitches can be difficult in January and February, and "sometimes there's a little injury. " He warned that putting offensive players "in cotton wool" would prevent them from shining, and reiterated that he values Okafor's speed even as it raises injury risk.

Live match coverage and immediate impact on squad selection

The live coverage titled as a running match blog for Aston Villa vs Leeds is currently unavailable with a notice asking readers to try again later. Okafor's absence alters selection options for the trip to Villa and forces Leeds to plan without him for the near-term fixtures already identified as the Aston Villa visit and the Elland Road Manchester City match.