Sam Allardyce must find Adam Forshaw balance v West Ham after new Leeds United injury blow
Leeds United lost yet another option in the middle of the park for their clash against West Ham as Marc Roca was ruled out with a knee injury, leaving Sam Allardyce with a tricky balancing act.
The Daily Mail reported on Saturday (20 May) that Roca was one of five Leeds United players ruled out of the clash at the London Stadium on Sunday.
And with Tyler Adams already sidelined with a long-term hamstring issue, the pressure now falls on Adam Forshaw’s shoulders to deliver the goods in this relegation showdown.
However, the 31-year-old has only recently returned from his own lengthy injury absence himself – amassing a mere 323 minutes of Premier League action this season – while Weston McKennie and Sam Greenwood have struggled for consistent form recently.
So what does Big Sam do with his starting lineup?
In the four-goal draw against Newcastle United last weekend, Allardyce didn’t want to risk starting the Leeds veteran from the offset and instead brought him on for Greenwood after 45 minutes.
Speaking on The Phil Hay Show earlier this week (15 May), Hay shared that Allardyce clearly wants Forshaw to play every minute for Leeds United in their final two games of the Premier League season, but his fitness remained a problem.
It is clear that Big Sam wants players in his side that he can rely on in the pressure cauldron of a relegation battle, and the Englishman is clearly that.
However, can he be risked?
If Declan Rice and Lucas Paqueta start in the Hammers midfield on Sunday, Forshaw could simply be overrun and could prove a spent force by the 60-minute mark.
But the key part of the game that the Leeds manager will want the midfielder on the pitch for will be the closing stages.
If the Whites are leading the encounter, his experience and leadership could prove vital to closing the game out, while Forshaw dragging his teammates around the pitch in search of a late equaliser also makes complete sense.
Allardyce’s hand has been forced into starting the Englishman because of Roca’s injury, but whether he will be able to feature for the full 90 minutes is the million-dollar question.
In other Leeds United news, our exclusive pundit has demanded an internal investigation takes place at the club.