Bianchi Suffers Anterior Cruciate Ligament Damage

Last updated : 12 February 2015 By .

The YEP report that Bianchi is being assessed by Leeds United’s medical staff after sustaining what the club believe is serious cruciate ligament damage during a 2-0 win at Reading last night.

The Italian, who was recalled at the Madejski Stadium after a month-and-a-half on the bench, hurt his knee in a first-half collision with Reading midfielder Danny Williams.

Bianchi attempted to play on after briefly receiving treatment on the pitch but he was replaced after half an hour and could now be sent for an operation.

Neil Redfearn said: “It was a 50-50 challenge and the first thought is that he might have opened up his ACL (anterior cruciate ligament).

“That’s not good but we’ll have to see how it settles down before we know more.”

Redfearn named Bianchi in his starting line-up at Reading after losing Rodolph Austin to illness, using the former Sassuolo player for the first time since Leeds’ 2-0 defeat to Derby County on December 30.

Captain Liam Cooper, meanwhile, is out of Saturday’s game against Millwall with the dead leg which forced him to miss United’s win at the Madejski.

Rodolph Austin and Gaetano Berardi were also unavailable last night after being taken ill but both players should return to contention this weekend.