MOT View: Never-seen Leeds sensation could get first-team shot v West Ham as injury crisis hits
There’s going to be a very different looking Leeds United backline on Friday night when West Ham visit Elland Road.
Two of Bielsa’s senior centre-backs – Robin Koch and Diego Llorente – have been ruled out and it means there’s likely going to be a spot on the bench for a talented Under-23 player.
We think that Luke Ayling will play in the centre on Friday, with Gjanni Alioski on the left and utility man Stuart Dallas on the right.
And we think it could mean that summer signing Cody Drameh gets a call-up to the first-team squad.
The 19-year-old turned heads playing for the Fulham Under-23s and he’s already impressed us through his 10 appearances for the Leeds Under-23s.
He cost Leeds an initial fee of £400,000 with the Mail saying that his fee could eventually rise to £1m with a 20% sell-on clause attached.
That’s how highly he’s rated and the pacy right-back made a name for himself with seven assists in 17 Premier League 2 matches last season.
That saw Man City interested in him before Leeds managed to convince him that Marcelo Bielsa was the manager best placed to oversee the next step in his development.
A first call-up for the England Under-20s has seemed to vindicate this.
We don’t think Drameh would normally be considered for the first-team at this point in his career, but he can cover on the right as well as the left if needed.
It’s the right side where Leeds are short and the injuries could see him handed a chance in the first-team before his time.
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