OPINION
Marcelo Bielsa should unleash Mateusz Bogusz and throw a wildcard into the mix for Leeds United’s upcoming play-off semi-finals against Derby County.
Leeds signed Bogusz, 17, from Ruch Chorzow in the January transfer window and since then he has been a stand-out performer for Carlos Corberan’s Under-23s side.
The Poland Under-20 international has also clearly impressed Bielsa as the Whites boss has handed the teenage midfielder a spot on the bench for the last two matches against Aston Villa and Ipswich.
Unfortunately Leeds fans did not get to see what Bogusz was made of in those Championship games as he remained an unused substitute.
However those who have watched the Under-23s this season will know that the Polish midfielder is someone with enormous potential and could be the Yorkshire club’s secret weapon in their upcoming showdowns against Derby.
Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Phil Hay, talking on the Inside Elland Road podcast in January, tipped Bogusz to shine at some point for Leeds and with him yet to make a senior appearance in England, the play-offs could be his moment.
“He’s going to join up with the development squad so I was going to say it could be a long time before we see him, but quite honestly, with Leeds at the moment there are no boundaries,” Hay said.
“By the time Leeds are wrapping their season up he’s in at number 10 with Hernandez lighting the whole place up.”
And Hay was quite right because Bielsa has consistently shown faith in Leeds’ younger players this season and Bogusz is on the verge of making his first team debut having been on the bench in the last two outings.
We’re not saying that Bogusz should start in the Leeds midfield when Bielsa’s men take on Frank Lampard’s over the course of the next week.
However the Polish teenager could definitely make an impact off the bench if his impressive performances in the Under-23s side are anything to go by.
He’s a midfielder who can do a bit of everything. He can pass, he can score, he can tackle and he can get up and down the pitch really well, which explains why Bielsa is a fan of the central midfielder.
Derby won’t know what hit them if the Argentine unleashes Bogusz in the upcoming games.