Could Pascal Struijk’s senior Leeds debut come this season?

Follow us on Google Discover

Pascal Struijk has been outstanding for Leeds United’s under-23s in recent weeks.

With Marcelo Bielsa operating with a small squad and Leeds boasting an injury record that makes it seem baffling that they still find themselves in the promotion race, it would be little surprise if the Whites boss was handing out more debuts before the campaign concluded.

The likes of Jamie Shackleton, Jack Clarke and Leif Davis are amongst the raft of players who have been promoted to the first-team this term, while several others have had a taste of senior football along the way.

But one player who is still biding his time waiting for a chance is Pascal Struijk, the Dutch centre-back who joined the Whites in the 2018 January transfer window.

At times since his arrival, there have been questions about whether Struijk would make the kind of progress that would send him on his way towards the first-team. But those questions have arguably been emphatically answered in recent weeks.

Not only is Struijk helping Carlos Corberan’s under-23s enjoy a fantastic season in both the league and cup with some brilliant defensive work, but he is also contributing at the other end of the pitch with a number of goals.

Against Fulham in the dramatic recent Premier League Cup win, Struijk was outstanding and arguably outshone first-team stalwart Gaetano Berardi. His performance was arguably all the more remarkable as he seemed to cover centre-back and left-back as Leeds played much of the game with 10 men.

If any under-23 star is going to get the chance to make his debut before the campaign concludes, it may well be Struijk. He faces a tough task with Pontus Jansson and Liam Cooper playing so well right now, and with Kalvin Phillips and Berardi ahead of him in the pecking order should anything happen to either of Bielsa’s first choice options.

But given his current form, it may not be too long before some are suggesting that Struijk must be included in the discussions should there be a void to fill at any stage.