BBC journalist highlights another blow for Poveda as he strives for match fitness
Winger Ian Poveda has been dropped from the Leeds United first-team squad for the past five games after making the bench for the Millwall and Forest games directly after he signed.
Manager Marcelo Bielsa hasn’t explained this beyond saying that he wanted two defenders, two midfielders and two attackers on his bench.
That doesn’t really explain why Poveda was in the squad for two games and then dropped, especially as Jordan Stevens was on the bench on Wednesday, but Football Insider has today reported that Bielsa hasn’t been convinced by his fitness levels.
Bielsa demands his players are super fit and that’s also stopped Jean-Kevin Augustin from getting his first start – although he’s now injured to boot.
Poveda has been building up his fitness in the Under-23s but he’s been severely hampered by the British weather in the past two weeks.
Today’s game at Barnsley has now gone the same way as the other Under-23s game on Monday this week. And the game last Monday.
BBC journalist Adam Pope reported the news of the postponement – which came late. Our reporter was already on his way down the M1 when the news came through this afternoon ahead of the 2pm kick-off.
Pope said, “Another game goes the way of the elements. Another chance missed for Poveda to impress.”
If Poveda was closing in on convincing Bielsa that he was ready to hit the bench again, the two games getting called off this week will have scuppered any chance he had.
We think he’s almost 100% to miss out on the squad of 18 again tomorrow now at the KCOM.
It will be frustrating for Poveda and for the rest of the Under-23s.
In other Leeds United news, ‘It is true’ – Phil Hay: This is what I’ve been told about Bielsa and Real Betis