Liam Cooper and Stuart Dallas had been ruled out for a lengthy period, and this piece of news would have worried Marcelo Bielsa a lot. However, the Whites are set to receive a significant boost as Luke Ayling is set to be back this month as confirmed (Official Leeds United twitter account) by Bielsa himself. The right-back was not expected to be back until January, but this piece of news would certainly brighten the day for the Leeds United faithful.
The timing couldn’t have been much better as right back is the spot where the club suffered another injury as Stuart Dallas who was a makeshift fullback, has now been ruled out for a significant period of time. He is likely to be back around the end of January or by the beginning of February according to the manager.
Ayling has been a significant miss for the Whites as Stuart Dallas has often been found wanting. On the defensive front, the northern Irishman has often struggled with his positioning, and the West Yorkshire outfit have found themselves in tough situations in the absence of their English fullback.
However, the Whites would be glad that they have managed to eke out some good results after their loss to West Bromwich Albion before the international break. They currently occupy the second spot in the Championship table and have opened up a four-point gap between themselves and the third spot.
Ayling was a regular feature for Bielsa when he was available as he managed 15 appearances in the Championship before an injury brought him down. His attacking contribution and marauding runs into the box were a big miss for the club when he was out injured.
It remains to be seen though when he would be back playing on the pitch as the Whites are in desperate need of a right back. For the next few games, they might have to go in with Jamie Shackleton in the right-back role before Ayling is entirely ready to take on a full-fledged match in the Championship. The 27-year-old was probably playing the best football of his Leeds career and Bielsa would hope that he can take off from where he had left.
However, the club should be cautious and cannot rush him into the playing eleven given the injury issues at the back. Ayling might even fill in the centre back role if required as currently Pontus Jansson is the only senior defender available. If Shackleton performs well in the right back position, maybe Bielsa can consider starting Ayling as a centre back. But in any case, this is undoubtedly a timely return for the English fullback especially with the busy period of the season approaching.
