Phil Hay: Leeds unlikely to use Lewis Bate v Arsenal
Ahead of the Carabao Cup tie against Arsenal tonight, Marcelo Bielsa faces a mounting injury crisis within his Leeds squad.
Key first-team players such as Patrick Bamford, Raphinha and Junior Firpo all are near certain to miss the trip to the Emirates.
One man who may also not be part of Bielsa’s squad for the game is summer signing Lewis Bate, as Phil Hay has shared today.
Writing in his pre-match Athletic Q&A this morning, Hay responded to a fan who questioned him on the possibility of Bate being used this evening.
“I don’t see Bate playing because he hasn’t been on the fringes of a matchday squad yet but the others, yes,” he said.
Unfortunate.
Though many Leeds fans are eager to see what Bate can bring to the first-team picture, it is important to remember that he is just 18 years old.
It can be annoying to see other Premier League clubs sign Chelsea’s youth talent and for them to succeed, like Valentino Livramento at Southampton.
The clamour for Bate’s first-team debut is understandable, with his stunning form for the under-23s and England under-20s in recent months.
Despite Bate playing well, usually, in a double pivot, Leeds’ Under 23s side have the 6th worst defence in the league, Bielsa may favour more experienced heads.
With Kalvin Phillips and Adam Forshaw starting on the bench for the weekend’s draw with Wolves, either player or both could be in line to start, with Hay adding in his Q&A that Phillips had a ‘good chance’ of starting the tie.
In other Leeds United news, This one player has been exiled from a matchday squad ahead of a potential move to Elland Road