OPINION
Izzy Brown is staring into the abyss at Leeds United.
He may be fully fit after the knee injury that robbed 13 months of his career but hopes a clean bill of health would accelerate his progress into the Leeds starting XI have proved unfounded.
Brown is finding, like other Leeds big names such as Pontus Jansson, Patrick Bamford, Adam Forshaw and Barry Douglas, that a sound reputation and a proven track record is not enough to reclaim a place under Marcelo Bielsa when full health is restored.
Bielsa only changes his side when he is compelled to by injury or suspension, or as an absolute last resort.
Leeds are flying high again now, and the Argentine announced at his media conference on Monday he will select the same XI, as well as the same substitute’s bench, for a fifth consecutive match against Reading on Tuesday night.
will be the same line-up and same bench against Reading, so no issue with Kalvin Phillips either. #lufc
— Phil Hay (@PhilHay_) March 11, 2019
For Brown, that means a sixth consecutive match on the bench, but no indication he will actually get any game time.
The £25,000-a-week Chelsea loanee (Spotrac) has had just nine minutes of action in a Leeds shirt, all of which came late on in the defeat to QPR, with Bielsa ignoring his claims in the wins over Bristol City and West Brom.
It appears the 22-year-old’s only chance of getting a run-out at the Madejski Stadium is if something goes wrong for United.
If Bielsa’s side keep up their winning ways and continue to stay in contention for a top-two finish, Brown could end the season, remarkably, without making a single start for the Yorkshire giants.
How frustrating things must be for the attacking midfielder, as he continues to twiddle his thumbs.