MOT View: Perfect time for Leeds senior player to bounce back v QPR after Bielsa confirms boost
Stuart Dallas has, surprisingly, been one of the stand-out players for Leeds United this season, however, he was nowhere near his best last weekend against Sheffield Wednesday.
The 28-year-old has been thrown into an unconventional central midfield role in recent weeks due to injuries hitting Marcelo Bielsa’s regular options in that area but despite it not being the most comfortable position for the Northern Ireland international, he’s still done relatively well.
Dallas scored against both Preston and Birmingham from the centre of the midfield and did a decent job against West Brom in the 1-1 draw at The Hawthorns on New Years Day.
However last week, in the 2-0 loss to Sheffield Wednesday at Elland Road, the former Brentford man was nowhere near his best.
Stats by WhoScored show that Dallas failed to register a shot at goal against the Owls despite having done so in his three previous appearances in the centre of the midfield.
Dallas’ pass completion was up last weekend but that was more than likely down to the number of low-risk passes he made that did not really offer much going forward except for helping out Leeds’ possession statistics.
It could be fair to assume that Dallas had been carrying an injury in that game against Garry Monk’s side.
It is hard enough to play out of position – especially when you’ve been playing as a full-back most of the season – but it is going to be even tougher to do that when you’re carrying a knock.
Talking in a Q&A on the Athletic on Tuesday, journalist Phil Hay reported that Dallas had a scan on a calf injury and he was originally supposed to miss this weekend’s match against QPR.
Fortunately for the Nothern Irish ace, Bielsa has now confirmed that he is fit enough to play against QPR this weekend [YEP] and that serves as the perfect opportunity for him to bounce back to form.
Dallas is a player who loves to get forward and that is more than likely why Bielsa chose him to replace Pablo Hernandez in the midfield after the Spaniard suffered his latest injury setback.
QPR have the second-worst defensive record in the Championship after basement boys Luton Town and have won just one of their last six league fixtures.
If there is a game for Dallas to recapture his form in, then it’s this one.
In other Leeds United news, Luke Ayling has been raving about this top-flight forward.