Bielsa privately says Leeds United midfielder Forshaw has attributes to play for CL club
Marcelo Bielsa has been heard privately saying that Leeds United midfielder Adam Forshaw has the attributes to play for a Champions League club, according to The Athletic journalist Phil Hay.
Writing on The Athletic website, the ex-Yorkshire Evening Post reporter said that Leeds are “quietly optimistic” about Forshaw, 29, as he continues to return to action following two years of injury hell.
It is understood he’s trained throughout pre-season and while Leeds are hopeful he can make a mark next season, they are also cautious about his injury issues, which have kept him out of first-team action since September 2019.
Huge praise
Bielsa clearly rates Forshaw based on what he’s said about him and having the ability to play for a Champions League club.
It does seem pretty hard to believe, especially as Forshaw never really impressed Leeds fans until the start of the promotion-winning season.
In Bielsa’s debut season at Elland Road when Leeds finished third and missed out on promotion when they lost in the play-offs to Derby, Forshaw played 32 times in all competitions.
He was only handed 20 starts in the Championship, including the first leg of the play-off semi-finals.
The ex-Middlesbrough midfielder had his injury issues then but no one foresaw how well he’d do at the start of the 2019/20 season when he played 90 minutes of all the first six Championship matches.
He was brilliant but then his injury came about.
Now, we’re worried if he’ll ever get to the level we’ve seen him play at and the level that Bielsa feels he can play at.
Forshaw has a big season ahead of him.
He has less than a year left on his contract at Elland Road so will need to impress enough to win an extension.
However, he’ll turn 30 in October and hasn’t played senior football in almost two years so it’s hard to see something positive on the horizon for Forshaw.
Hopefully, we’re wrong. We want him to do well and we want him to prove Bielsa right.
Right now, it’s just hard to see that happening.
In other Leeds United news, this midfielder has been sent back to Elland Road after being rejected.