Leeds United defender Pascal Struijk is among the squad for the club’s play-off semi final first leg against Derby County, according to Phil Hay.
The reliable Yorkshire Evening Post reporter claims on his personal Twitter account that with Pontus Jansson not in his training gear ahead of the game against the Rams, 19-year-old Struijk has been included, despite having not picked up a single minute of first team action for the club to date.
Struijk is with the squad. #lufc
— Phil Hay (@PhilHay_) May 11, 2019
Standing at just under 6’3″ (source: Transfermarkt) the giant defender has been a mainstay in the under-23s this season, while he was also an unused substitute against Aston Villa back in April 2018.
Opinion
Manager Marcelo Bielsa has had no problems in promoting young talents to the first team if need be and it seems as though Struijk will be the next man to take that step up. His performances for the reserves have been top drawer and it should come as little surprise that he is the one chosen to fill the void left in terms of defenders in the squad. With massive pressure on the shoulders of each and every Leeds star going into the play-offs, it must be hugely daunting for a youngster to try and come in after no first team action whatsoever, but this is where you can see the true character of a player. Bielsa obviously feels the teenager is strong enough to carry the weight of expectation if needs be and considering how well he has performed with the under-23s, you can see why that is the case. Of course, fans and Bielsa would rather have Jansson in the squad but this is the card they have been dealt. Here is hoping it does not affect their plans too much.