OPINION
Marcelo Bielsa may have a plenty of time to prepare his Leeds United side for their next clash but he should already have his mind made up about whether midfielder Mateusz Klich should feature.
Leeds have a few days rest due to them not still being in the FA Cup with their next match not coming until the 23rd of February when they take on Bolton.
While this period will refresh and revive certain players who have felt the brunt of the Championship’s packed schedule as well as Bielsa’s training schedule, that doesn’t mean those who have under-performed recently shouldn’t taste the manager’s axe.
One of these players is Klich, whose form probably due to fatigue has dipped in recent weeks, as he should taste the axe for the Whites’ clash with Bolton.
The 28-year-old who defied expectations in his first few outings of the season, just hasn’t looked himself in recent weeks.
Klich, who has 32 appearances in the league this season, has been sloppy in possession and doesn’t seem to have the legs to fully press an opponent throughout a whole 90 minutes.
This was the case once again in Wednesday’s 2-1 win with Swansea with him arguably being among the worst performers on his team.
While that doesn’t really say much as lots of Leeds’ players impressed, it still should see him lose his first-team spot for at least game.
Klich’s display against Swansea was arguably a glimmer of improvement on his recent form but he was still careless in possession and didn’t really win the midfield for his side.
While it may be harsh for Bielsa to axe a player who has served him well this season and one that wasn’t overly awful against the Swans, it has to be the case with Leeds’ in an intense battle to win promotion.