Samuel Saiz is a tremendous talent and a key member of Leeds United’s squad but after his recent behaviour in the FA Cup, the Whites need to resist letting him walk back into their team.
The striker was sent off for allegedly spitting against Newport County’s Robbie Willmott during Leeds’ 2-1 defeat to the League Two side.
The surprise loss saw Leeds United crash out of the FA Cup in only the third round of the tournament.
Saiz received a red card for the incident, which will see him banned for three games, however The Sun report that the suspension is likely to be extended to six games given FA Rules.
FA guidelines suggest that if Saiz is found guilty of spitting at Willmott, he could face a six game ban; which Johnny Evans once received after spitting at Papiss Cisse in 2015.
The news that Leeds United could be without Saiz for three games, let alone six, is terribly worrying in regards to their promotion push.
The striker’s actions let his team down on a miserable Sunday for his side and were disgusting when you consider he is supposed to be a professional football.
It’s also not the first time Saiz has been accused of spitting, with Port Vale manager Michael Brown believing the striker had spat in the face of one of his players in August.
Saiz was cleared of any wrong-doing by the FA in that game, but you now question whether the player got away with it; as Mike Dean was convinced he was capable of the shocking actions during the Newport clash.
The 26-year-old attacker has featured 25 times for the Whites this season, scoring five goals and registering five assists.
The striker’s performances are one of the reasons why Leeds United find themselves sixth, just in the play-off positions.
However, no matter how important Saiz is to Leeds’ success, he shouldn’t just walk back in the team upon on his return.
Thomas Christiansen has to let the footballing world know that his club don’t condone this sort of behaviour.
It will be difficult to resist the urge to play him as soon as he’s available again, but it’s something that needs to be done to show what type of club Leeds are.
It can be argued that six-games is enough for Saiz to learn his lesson, but not instantly putting him back in the team, sends a clear message to stop any future behaviour of this nature.
While Leeds’ promotion charge could take a hit, leaving the striker out longer than they have to, is the right decision.