Cody Drameh and Leif Davis will not be available for Leeds United in the final three games of the season despite the conclusion of the Championship season. Both players have spent time on loan in the second tier with Drameh spending the second half of the season at Cardiff City, and Davis the full campaign at Bournemouth.
With the regular 46-game Championship season now over, both players have reportedly returned to training at Leeds, where Jesse Marsch will see them in person for the first time. However, neither will be able to play any part in the Whites’ crucial last three games of the season due to the loan rules.
A loan player is only eligible to play for their parent club again if they are recalled in a transfer window, which is not the case for Drameh or Davis. The summer transfer window for the Premier League does not open until June 10, which means they will unable to be registered.
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Leeds have been left with a major hole in their back four following Luke Ayling’s red card at Arsenal on Sunday. He is set to be banned for the remaining three matches of the season, leaving Leeds without a recognised replacement after Stuart Dallas’ serious injury just a week earlier.
Without Drameh, Jamie Shackleton is the only real alternative if Marsch sticks to a back four, and although he has played there plenty of times, his preferred position is in midfield. A switch to a five-man backline could be Marsch’s best option, with Daniel James impressing there in the final half-hour at Arsenal following Raphinha’s substitution.
