Leeds United spent almost £100 million in the summer, yet somehow they have managed to find themselves in the midst of a defensive injury crisis.
Indeed, Liam Cooper, Robin Koch and Gaetano Berardi are all out of action, and while Diego Llorente is fit, there are huge question marks about his match fitness, having played just 81 minutes of Premier League football this season.
Leeds need more options at centre-half right now, as Pascal Struijk and Llorente are currently their only fit options in that spot.
Luckily, it seems as though there is a young man waiting in the wings who could soon have a big impact.
Oliver Casey has had a small taste of first-team football at Leeds, impressing in his debut against Huddersfield Town last season, earning plaudits from Luke Ayling on the day, but now it may be time for him to get more opportunities in the team.
He certainly has the attributes needed to be a top pro, with Jamie Shackleton raving about him earlier this year.
“Olly is a great player. For such a big, strong lad he’s quick but he’s also really good on the ball. He’s showed that, he’s so composed, in areas where you need to be composed, in the middle at the back. He’s got all the attributes,” Shackleton said.
Of course, it’s a massive gamble to throw an inexperienced player in at the deep end, especially when they’re a centre-back, but Casey seems to have the mindset needed to flourish at Leeds under Marcelo Bielsa.
Indeed, Bielsa is a good enough manager to make any semi-competant professional into a Premier League player as long as they’re able to apply themselves, and Carlos Corberan’s comments on him last year seem to suggest that Casey is more than capable of taking on information and putting the work in.
“Olly’s a fantastic guy and a guy you enjoy coaching. He’s very focused and he’s very clear about his target of being a football player — but with an open mind about receiving the information he needs,” Corberan said.
The prospect of Leeds heading into these next few weeks without Cooper and Koch may seem daunting, the problem starts to look a lot less scary when you realise Casey is there to deputise behind Struijk and Llorente.
This next few weeks could certainly be an important period for the 20-year-old.
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