Izzy Brown might not be able to play too much for Leeds in second half of the campaign, according to Phil Hay.
The Yorkshire Evening Post correspondent explained on the Inside Elland Road podcast that Marcelo Bielsa’s concerns about the conditioning of the long-time absentee have only been increased by the injury setback sustained by the Chelsea loanee on Monday.
Brown pulled up in the first half of Leeds Under-23s’ defeat to Burnley with a minor hamstring injury and Hay explained why there is a real concern over how big a role he has to play.
“The fact his hamstring has been niggling, you start to understand why Bielsa has not been rushing him,” Hay told the new edition of the Inside Elland Road podcast (12:50). “I think, without being unfair to Brown, you do have to question how much they are going to be able to rely on him in the second half of the season.
“Fully fit, he is a very good player. But no-one can be certain of the point at which he is going to hit 100 per cent, given that he has had so long out.
“Considering he is the player that Leeds saw as the competition for Saiz, or the natural replacement for Saiz if they needed one, that has to be a slight concern.”
OPINION
As Hay points out, if Brown is breaking down after half-an-hour of an Under-23s match, there is no way he is going to be able to cope with playing for Leeds first team as they continue to slam the foot on the accelerator in their promotion surge. Those thinking Brown can automatically slot in for Samuel Saiz, who has joined Getafe on loan for the rest of the season, might need to think again. The attacking midfielder has spent a year on the sidelines after tearing his ACL while at Brighton in January and the road to top match fitness, where he can play the full 90 minutes of an intense Championship encounter, is a long one. Hay’s update strongly suggests Leeds might need another short-term measure to fill the creative hole left by Saiz’s exit. It also begs new questions as to why the club were willing to grant his exit without first having a replacement sorted. This is becoming a thorny issue for fans.