Sam Byram blow could see him struggle to start for Leeds United again
Mark Smith is a lifelong Leeds United fan thanks to his dad and was forced to grow up watching the -15 season and fallout from Premier League relegation in the early 2000s. He’s now putting his passion for the Whites into words with a regular fan view for MOT Leeds News…
When Sam Byram signed for Leeds United over the summer, it was like we had all been fired back in time at Elland Road on the verge of the new Championship season.
There was a sense of excitement, not necessarily because of his playing talent, but because one of our very own had returned alongside Daniel Farke to get us back to the Premier League.
Byram has never looked back since that moment, somewhat proving his fitness and becoming a mainstay at left-back as we charged up the Championship table.
The odd injury has kept him out of a couple of games, and that may now be the case again.
Phil Hay shared on Saturday 9 December after the 2-0 win over Blackburn that Farke had confirmed a potential hamstring concern that could keep him out of games against Sunderland and Coventry.
That problem led to Djed Spence finally getting a longer chunk of action at Ewood Park, and that may be a sign of things to come at Elland Road.
Myself and many others in the Leeds faithful have been desperate to see the Tottenham loanee unleashed after his injury, but he will have to put in more hard yards than he did in Lancashire if given the nod.
Farke was spotted giving Spence the “debrief of his life” after the win over the weekend, admitting he wanted to see more effort put in as he appeared to glide around the pitch.
Where does that leave Byram?
After signing a one-year contract in the summer, it was very much up to him to prove that he deserved to stick around for longer, something he has done so far.
But, with a potential two-game absence this week in a busy period, Spence could come in and never look back.
Should the right-back come in and shine, Farke will stick with him, I know that because he has shown how loyal he is to those players who can grab his attention with positive performances.
With injuries and a contract running out, that could be bad news for Byram, who may even struggle to start again for Leeds consistently, something we hope is not the case.
In other Leeds United news, Graham Smyth has speculated over an “unlikely” Daniel Farke call over the Christmas period.