Leeds United are now left sweating over Joe Rodon’s fitness as the centre-back suffered a nasty ankle injury against Sunderland.

As Leeds’ attention turns to Liverpool on New Year’s Day, the question that remains is who will be playing at centre-back.

That’s because Joe Rodon suffered an injury that could leave him staring at a spell on the sidelines following Sunderland away.

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What did Daniel Farke say on Joe Rodon’s injury and how will Leeds United respond?

Rodon was clattered by Brian Brobbey in the first half at the Stadium of Light, but carried on and got another crunching tackle for his efforts from Simon Adingra.

As the Ivorian then scored, Rodon was unable to continue any longer due to pain in his ankle. Farke said this after the game on the Welsh international.

“Not good,” said Farke, per the YEP. “Joe is my warrior. Has played so many games in a row, and of course he wanted to stay on the pitch, but right now, got a hit on his ankle, and by doing this I think he also rolled his ankle, and it’s pretty swollen.

Leeds United’s Joe Rodon left stricken with ankle injury vs Sunderland. (REUTERS/Scott Heppell)

“At the moment, I doubt that he will be available for Liverpool and also the upcoming games before the FA Cup. We have to wait for some further assessment. But right now, it doesn’t look too good.”

Farke’s immediate response was to introduce Ao Tanaka from the bench. Ethan Ampadu then dropped back into the centre of Leeds’ centre-back trio. That change resulted in Jaka Bijol shifting into Rodon’s newfound role as a wide centre-back verging on playing as a winger.

Sebastiaan Bornauw must be wondering if Leeds United transfer was a mistake

Farke turning to Ampadu to drop in and cover a centre-back injury isn’t anything new. Both seasons in the Championship saw the Welshman fill in for the stricken Pascal Struijk to good effect, and he handled this Premier League task well.

Whether it’s a viable long-term solution – dependant on Rodon’s prognosis – remains to be seen. Ampadu was caught out at centre-back in some of Leeds’ higher-profile Championship fixtures. Namely, he was at fault in the playoff final and at home to Sunderland.

What surprised me was that we had a centre-back on the bench, who was completely overlooked. Sebastiaan Bornauw, bought for £5million, wasn’t seen as a solution for Leeds losing a centre-back to injury, despite being bought specifically as cover.

Sebastiaan Bornauw has had limited playing time at Leeds United. (Action Images via Reuters/Craig Brough)

It leaves you thinking whether Bornauw is fully aware of what he’s signed up for. Or, whether he’s left thinking it was a mistake to move here.

For better or worse, Farke has never been one to rotate for rotation’s sake. His best XI (in his view) starts more often than not. So, those on the fringes are left without much exposure.

The case of Bornauw is interesting, as we all knew he’d come in as fourth choice. That said, shifting to a back three means his presence is sure to be felt more, but he’s now dropped behind Ampadu in this system’s pecking order.

Read more: Why Leeds United must go all out for Manchester City outcast.