Jesse Marsch addresses Leeds United left back thinking, Junior Firpo regret and Leif Davis chat - YEP 18/7/22
Jesse Marsch has addressed Leeds United's thinking about their left back options in the absence of Junior Firpo - and admits that Leif Davis is effectively on trial.
By Lee Sobot
Firpo joined Leeds from Barcelona for 15m euros last summer
to become the club's new first choice left back but the defender's first season
at Elland Road was continually disrupted by injuries and three cases of
Covid-19.
The 25-year-old impressed in United's pre-season friendly
against Blackpool earlier this month but then suffered a fresh injury setback
that is set to keep him out for around eight weeks.
Marsch, though, has made a prediction about the importance
that Firpo will hold upon his return and in the meantime has laid down the
challenge to Davis surrounding what happens next.
Davis, 22, spent last season on loan at Championship side
Bournemouth but has returned to Leeds and started Sunday's pre-season friendly
against Aston Villa in the left back role.
The former Cherries loanee produced a solid performance but
conceded what Marsch felt was a harsh second-half penalty for handball which
Danny Ings converted for the only goal of the game.
Davis was replaced by another left back option in Leo Hjelde
for the final 22 minutes and Marsch has also deployed Jack Harrison as a left
back this summer.
The versatile Stuart Dallas spent large parts of last season
playing in the position but the Northern Ireland international is facing a
lengthy spell on the sidelines with a femoral fracture.
Pascal Struijk is another option to play on the left of the
defence but Leeds were evaluating their left back options even before Firpo's
injury and Marsch admitted last week that the setback had left United giving
the matter even more focus in terms of possibly looking for another new
recruit.
Asked about Firpo's absence and how much of an impact that
would have on the team, Marsch reasoned: "The unfortunate part is Junior
had been having a really good pre-season and he's grown a lot since I've been
here.
"He's going to be an important player for us.
"Leif Davis has stepped in and even when I spoke to
him, I said ‘I don't want to treat this like a trial, but the reality is, it is
kind of a trial.’
"The penalty is a little unfair. When your hands are in
close by your body, I'm not sure those should be given as penalties.
"It's always a little bit of a grey area, but certainly
the first one is definitely not a penalty.
"In the end, it's good to see him playing against
Premier League talent and, for the most part, he did okay, but obviously the
challenge for him is big because the level’s high."
