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Leeds United manager Daniel Farke has admitted that he is not a big fan of signing out-of-contract players, but will have to wait and see given the current injury situation.
Leeds face an anxious wait over the injury of midfielder Ilia Gruev, who had to be replaced after just 20 minutes against Norwich City.
While the results of a scan on his injured knee are awaited, questions have been raised on whether there is a need to find a replacement given that they are now short of options in the midfield area.
Leeds, who also have Ethan Ampadu out, could only sign free agents now.
Farke has not ruled out the prospect of taking a look, though he insists that he is not a big believer of signing out-of-contract players given their issues with fitness.
“We will first wait and see on Ilia and see”, Farke said at a press conference while addressing the issue of replacing the injured players.
“It is professional of us to check who is available and what we could do, but to be honest I am not a big fan of signing people out of contract when you get to October.”
“They have been out of training for months, it may take them a while to get up to speed and a player who is injured could be back before the new signing is ready.
“It can be a panic signing.
“It is professional to check to see if there is someone who suits the needs, but I am not a big believer of it.
“But let’s see. First, we wait and hope for the outcome of Ilia Gruev.
“Sometimes though it could be bad for the whole group. It can send a sign to other players we don’t trust them.”
Ampadu, a key man in Leeds’ midfield, is expected to be out until the new year.
