Daniel Farke cannot ignore Jeremiah Mullen after what Leeds United gem did today
Jeremiah Mullen may have just fired himself into first-team contention at Leeds United after his goal for Scotland Under-21s in their 3-2 loss to Kazakhstan.
The 20-year-old scored his second goal for the national side at the Almaty Ortalyk Stadion on Tuesday [15 October] in what proved to be little more than a consolation goal as Scotland suffered a massive blow to their hopes of qualifying for the U21 European Championships.
Mullen has yet to earn his first-team berth at Elland Road, but Daniel Farke may no longer be able to ignore the youth academy graduate with a growing injury list at the Whites – particularly at the back.
Jeremiah Mullen could be the answer for Leeds United
Farke is facing a pivotal period at Leeds after the international break which could define the season with so many regular starters facing lengthy spells on the sidelines.
The German has moved to rectify the ongoing concerns at Elland Road with the impending arrival of Cheikhou Kouyate to bolster the thin midfield options. However, the boss must decide how to ensure his defence remains solid in the coming weeks.
Ao Tanaka and Joe Rothwell are the only remaining senior centre-midfielders, barring the underutilised Charlie Crew, whereas Pascal Struijk and Joe Rodon remain the only available options at centre-back.
Max Wober is expected to be out of action until mid-November following a meniscus injury and Ethan Ampadu, who can also slot in alongside the backline, is set to be sidelined for up to 10 weeks [Yorkshire Evening Post] after damaging his lateral ligament.
With Farke focusing on the free-agent market to shore up his midfield, the opposite approach could be taken for the defence with Mullen waiting in the wings for his first team debut.
The centre-back has been patiently biding his time with the youth sides but after stepping up for his country, it may be time to give Mullen an extended run in the senior side and see how he develops.
Leeds are running out of options and must start trusting the youth to ease the burden on the thinning squad – the risk to reward could be monumental for the club.
In other Leeds United news, Liam Cooper arrives back at Thorp Arch after his Leeds United exit.
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