Marcelo Bielsa has hailed Adam Forshaw as a key player in his Leeds United plans and revealed he is set for a prominent role after returning to full fitness.
The United manager explained at his media conference on Wednesday, as quoted by Yorkshire Evening Post correspondent Phil Hay on his personal Twitter account, that the central midfielder was Leeds’ outstanding player during pre-season.
Bielsa said Forshaw is now “ready to play” and was “the best player in the team” during the club’s programme of friendlies in July and early August.
Bielsa on Forshaw, and whether he's ready for a more prominent role: "Adam is a player who's ready to play. Before getting injured he was the best player in the team but that was because he had six pre-season games to get fit. He has not played for a month-and-half." #lufc
— Phil Hay (@PhilHay_) September 26, 2018
OPINION
Cometh the hour, cometh the man. Bielsa has delivered a clear signal that Forshaw is set for a major role after working his way back into starting contention through three substitute appearances since recovering from a broken bone in his foot. The £4.5million January signing from Middlesbrough has not started a match since Bielsa took over, but that could now change on Friday night, when Leeds make the short journey to Hillsborough to face Sheffield Wednesday. Given that Kalvin Phillips was withdrawn after just 34 minutes into last weekend’s defeat to Birmingham, there is a good chance Forshaw will be a like-for-like replacement in the midfield anchorman role for the Elland Road academy product. Bielsa has previously spoken of how there is a no-one else like Phillips in the Leeds squad, but two early substitutions of the player over the last month suggest he is not carrying out the manager’s instructions.