Jack Clarke has been ruled out of Leeds United’s Championship clash against Reading on Tuesday night, it has been confirmed.
Speaking at his media conference on Monday, as quoted by Yorkshire Evening Post correspondent Phil Hay, Marcelo Bielsa revealed that he will name an unchanged line-up and bench for the Elland Road fixture as United look to continue their automatic promotion march.
That means no place in the matchday 18 for teenager Clarke, who has not played since falling ill in the draw against Middlesbrough last month.
Bielsa explained the forward will make his comeback for the club’s Under-23s in their Professional Development League fixture against Charlton Athletic on Monday night.
Jack Clarke to play in the Under-23s tonight. "Then we'll see how he feels and we'll see if he plays (for the Under-23s again) on Thursday." #lufc
— Phil Hay (@PhilHay_) March 11, 2019
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
OPINION
Leeds have taken no chances with Clarke since his scare at the Riverside, and it is eminently sensible that he will be re-introduced gradually to the team. Bielsa might have been tempted to fast-track the 18-year-old, given the huge impact he made when given his first taste of senior football in the autumn. Clarke’s fresh face and dazzling feet added a new dimension to the Leeds attack, and some of his performances suggested the club have their best young talent in years. Indeed, a number of Premier League clubs were dazzled enough to table multi-million pound January bids. Leeds fended off interest in their prize asset, but might find it more difficult to do so in the summer if they fail to secure promotion back to the top flight. For now, it is important Clarke is fit and firing before he is unleashing back in the senior squad. The fixture list has been kind, with the Under-23s, where the 18-year-old was master of all he surveyed while bursting from the ranks last year, in action on Monday and Thursday of this week.