‘Not how I imagined it’: Leeds ace ‘disappointed’ with current situation

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Matuesz Klich admits he is ‘disappointed’ with his lack of game time for club and country with the midfielder struggling for starts at both Leeds United and Poland, speaking to Sport PL. 

As you might have noticed, the World Cup is now just six weeks away.  

And, as things stand, you’d get long odds on Klich being included in the XI for Poland’s group stage opener against Mexico on November 22^nd. Leeds’ long-serving midfield general is yet to start a single league game so far in 2022/23; his seven substitute appearances averaging less than 20 minutes in length. 

As such, Klich has fallen out of favour at international level too. Poland coach Czeslaw Michniewicz didn’t even hand the former Utrecht playmaker a spot on the bench during the 1-0 Nations League victory over Wales last month. 

Is Leeds United midfielder Mateusz Klich set for a World Cup snub?

“Of course, I was disappointed,” 32-year-old Klich admits. “Everyone who (is included in the Poland squad) wants to play as much as possible. This is not how I imagined it.

“I can’t do anything but show in league matches that I deserve more.” 

Whether Klich will get a chance to do just that – show Michniewicz what he’s missing in the white of Leeds United – remains to be seen. Yes, he has featured in every one of Leeds’ seven Premier League games so far this term. But brief cameos off the bench won’t be sufficient for a player who harbours hopes of a starting spot in Qatar. 

Klich reportedly considered leaving Elland Road over the summer in order to boost his first-team prospects ahead of the World Cup. He’s been knocked down Jesse Marsch’s pecking order by the arrivals of Tyler Adams, Brenden Aaronson and Marc Roca. 

The 41-time Poland international has spoken openly about potentially going full circle too; ending his career where it began.

“Maybe I will say goodbye to the ball in the colours of Cracovia, from which I set off into the world?” says Klich, who made his professional debut for the Ekstraklasa outfit back in 2008. “I will come back to this city (Krakow). I hope there will be options when I come back (to Poland).”