Leeds United have an excellent medical department. that will hope none of these three players will walk through their door

Leeds United are well stocked in most areas, particularly in defence. Joe Rodon is not yet back from injury but once he is, there is no guarantee he will reclaim his right-side centre-back slot.

James Justin has performed terrifically while Nico Elvedi and Tarik Muharemovic have contributed to Leeds having the second best defensive record in the Premier League at present.

Jaka Bijol had not started a league game since August 30 but came in against Sunderland, barring one rusty moment that almost led to Brian Brobbey finding the net, and refound his rhythm, being one of the best performers of the day.

The midfield has the requisite numbers too. Ethan Ampadu is a dead cert in the centre of the park and Ao Tanaka has managed to nail down the slot beside him, with Anton Stach playing as the advanced wide 10.

This has allowed Ilia Gruev time to reintegrate himself back into the matchday squad following April’s meniscus knee injury. All the while, Sean Longstaff has only managed to get 20 minutes of Premier League action so far.

Leeds have enough wide options, even if some are not yet up to the desired levels. The thinnest area comes up top with only Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha to lean on.

The anguish within the fanbase was clear to see when Calvert-Lewin was a doubt ahead of the goalless draw with Sunderland. He ultimately made the cut.

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Leeds have bolstered their squad as a whole yet there are three players who Leeds cannot afford to lose. The first is James Trafford, as is quite obvious.

Any team that loses their number one goalkeeper faces turbulence but so excellent is Trafford that the asbence of his skillset would diminish Leeds’ effectiveness going both ways.

The second is Ampadu. While Leeds have midfield numbers to cope without him, Ampadu is the leader of the pack and engine room of the team.

No-one else in the squad can offer what he does to the same levels, both in regards to communication and also in-game talents. He is the glue that binds it all together.

And in many senses, so is Calvert-Lewin when it comes to the attack. His ability to win duels, keep the ball and lay it off is a hugely significant part of the team’s forward thrust.

Without it, the wingers will struggle to shine and midfielders would not be able to move up the pitch and instead be stuck backwards. And, clearly, Leeds would lose their key goal threat.

United are doing well as things stand, and the momentum is still with them, even if they have not won in four games. You don’t sit seventh in the table out of luck.

Many outsiders are tipping the club to qualify for an outside European spot but internally, that is not the aim. It is still to survive relegation and reach the 40-point mark. Perhaps the last few weeks have underlined that.

And amidst this, the whole outlook for Leeds could change with one or two key injuries. The Whites have got a good thing going under Farke but it is also precariously balanced.

Should Leeds lose just one of Trafford, Ampadu or Calvert-Lewin, Leeds would be left severely weakened. Any team who loses an important asset will be weary but it seems with United that the key stars are carrying a lot of weight, responsibility and burden.

This can perhaps hark back to the financial rules in place and the restrictions around spending. But as in the case in attack, the transfer policy itself may come into deeper questioning upon a Calvert-Lewin injury.

There is no doubt that Leeds are relying on a bit of luck and the medical department. So far, so good. But, in the worst case scenario, the danger of derailment is clear. Keep the fingers crossed.