MOT View: 5th-time lucky – U23 midfield ace finally set for Leeds debut after Bielsa benching
We’re more than a little bit excited about the third round of the FA Cup on Sunday.
Leeds United travel to League Two Crawley, with the BBC, for a game that Marcelo Bielsa’s men will be expected to win.
However, Bielsa’s selection for the game might prove a huge leveller, with many Leeds Under-23 stars set to get a chance of first-team action.
The game gives Bielsa the chance to rest key first-team stars and we think he’ll take it.
Fixture congestion is a real issue and the core group of Leeds players is relatively small.
One player who we’re expecting to see in action, if not from the start, is Jack Jenkins, a player who has been turning heads at Thorp Arch for a while now.
A box-to-box midfielder, Jenkins has been readied for his first-team bow by a run of appearances on the bench in the Premier League.
The 17-year-old hasn’t got on the pitch yet but he’s watched the first-team from the dug-out for the games against Crystal Palace, Burnley, West Brom and Tottenham.
That’s given him a good idea of the ups and downs of this season, with two heavy defeats, one massive win and a 1-0 grind.
He signed his first professional contract in January 2019 and that was extended to 2023 in the same year. That gives you some idea of how highly regarded he is at the club.
Lots of Leeds fans were very impressed with Jenkins in the Under-23s 4-1 win against Crystal Palace last November. Words like “bossing it” and “next big star” were bandied about.
And a month prior he showed his range of passing with a beautiful through ball for Sam Greenwood to get the winner against Middlesbrough.
With big names like Joe Gelhardt and Greenwood looking to make the headlines on Sunday, Jenkins could be the surprise package for a lot of people.
He’ll probably have to make do with making his bow from the bench but we do think that he’s going to make his first appearance for the club.
In other Leeds United news, Dermot Gallagher delivers verdict on controversial penalty decision in Leeds clash v Spurs