Leeds United fans would be forgiven for feeling that Yosuke Ideguchi is destined to leave Elland Road without making his debut.
Yosuke Ideguchi appears to have finally received something of a boost during his Leeds career with the Yorkshire Evening Post reporting that he will not require surgery on the knee ligament injury that he sustained out on loan.
Ideguchi was on loan with Greuther Furth at the start of this season and appeared to be finding a bit of form when he sustained the injury that looked set to potentially end his season prematurely. The move certainly appeared to mark the end of his spell with Leeds initially.
If his time in Germany proved to be as unsuccessful as his time with Cultural Leonesa, then it would have prompted those generously leaving a question mark on Ideguchi’s future to write him off, while a good spell on loan would have likely resulted in a permanent move to the second tier with an option agreed between the two clubs when he left in the summer window.
But perhaps the latest report on Ideguchi’s situation following his injury actually presents the Japan international with an outside opportunity to turn his fortunes around at Elland Road.
The Yorkshire Evening Post reports that Ideguchi is set to be out until the Spring due to not needing surgery. Given how long he is set to be out for, it would be a surprise if he plays for Greuther Furth again this term, and thus, he could well end up still at Leeds next summer but not because of a poor showing on the pitch.
The timing of his reported return means that he could possibly be getting back to full fitness just in time for the start of pre-season which could be crucial given how much work he has to do to force his way into Marcelo Bielsa’s plans.
Ideguchi is a young midfielder with more than a handful of international caps under his belt – his Leeds move actually seemed to scupper his World Cup hopes – so he clearly has some potential, and if any coach can help him realise that potential, it may well prove to be Bielsa.
With a long spell on the sidelines ahead after such a disappointing stint with the Whites so far, it may appear that it would be a big shock to see Ideguchi ever make his Leeds debut.
But perhaps there is the slightest chance that the first small boost of Ideguchi’s Leeds spell could potentially give him the smallest opportunity to turn his fortunes around.
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