Leeds United have seen a complete turnaround in form since the arrival of Jesse Marsch in February, but a lengthy injury list has kept them from hitting their peak, and it could get even longer with goalkeeper Illan Meslier carrying an existing knock.
Since Marsch joined, his Leeds side have only lost two in six games, with their last result a 3-0 domination of Watford and they have almost dragged themselves out of the relegation battle with only six games remaining,
They are on the cusp of achieving their third consecutive Premier League campaign after their first promotion in 16 years at the end of the 2019/20 season, but there could be a spanner in the works waiting to happen if all goes wrong for the Yorkshire team.
Goalkeeper Illan Meslier continues to start between the sticks despite carrying a slight injury which he initially sustained during Leeds’s 3-2 comeback win over Wolves.
Continuing to play the Frenchman is a risk that Leeds manager Marsch is willing to take, but what could happen if his decision was to backfire? TIF investigates…
One more strike and he’s out
After The Whites’ emphatic 3-0 win over Watford, Marsch spoke to the media about Meslier. As per BBC reporter Adam Pope, Marsch claimed the goalkeeper was ‘still struggling with the bruising to his leg’ as a result of the blow he received against Wolves, but has continued to start for Leeds following the international break.
While Meslier should be ok, as his recent performances suggest, there is every chance that the shot-stopper could suffer another tough run-in with a player or do something to aggravate the injury which could leave him sidelined for the rest of the season. This is not something the manager will want, as even though they sit nine points clear of the bottom three, their tough remaining fixtures, which include visits from Manchester City, Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion while travelling to London to face Arsenal, Crystal Palace and Brentford, could still see them fall into the drop zone.
Marsch should do whatever he can to protect the player, but that is easier said than done when their current form is so important to survival.
Marsch panicking
While he continues to start the Frenchman, Marsch should be very worried about the possible injury he could sustain, as Meslier is such an important player to his Leeds side. This is evident in Barcelona’s interest in the player, as reported by Mundo Deportivo. New boss Xavi is looking to move on from Marc-Andre ter Stegen and has identified Meslier as one of the top targets to replace the German ‘keeper.
As well as the evident talent that Meslier possess, an injury to the 22-year-old would mean that for the rest of the season, and possibly the most important part of it, Leeds would need to look to backup goalkeeper Kristoffer Klaesson. The 21-year-old Norwegian has primarily practised his trade in the Premier League 2 division with the Leeds academy, where they currently sit 11th out of 14 teams with a goal difference of -2.
Bringing in Klaesson would arguably be a huge step down from Meslier. Combine the difference in ability with the fact that the Leeds defence has leaked the most goals out of any top-flight team with 68, and you have a potential recipe for disaster which could very much end in relegation for Marsch and his men.