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Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Phil Hay wrote in an article on Tuesday that Leeds United are hopeful that Pontus Jansson’s recovery will be quicker after it was announced on Monday that he will be out for three weeks with a knee issue, with the club ideally wanting him ready to face Birmingham City on April 6.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Sweden international – who was forced to withdraw from duty with his country due to the blow – suffered the problem in the 1-0 defeat against Sheffield United on Saturday.

He moved from the centre-back position to a centre-forward one because of his lack of movement, before replacing goalkeeper Kiko Casilla between the sticks for the final few minutes following the Spaniard’s red card.

Hay wrote that while the Yorkshire outfit expect the 28-year-old to definitely miss out against Millwall at Elland Road later this month, they hope he will be ready for to face Garry Monk’s men in April.

Do Leeds need him?

They certainly do.

While they have players like Gaetano Berardi and Kalvin Phillips who are capable of filling in at centre-back in the Swede’s absence, he is usually always missed when he isn’t in the side due to his commitment and never-say-die attitude.

Leeds will hope that they can cope without him at home to a lowly Millwall, but given they may well come up against a strong centre-forward in Lukas Jutkiewicz at St Andrew’s the following week, they will want a centre-back who loves an aerial duel on the team-sheet.