Leeds United will be looking to avoid being the victims of one of the upsets of this year’s FA Cup when they face Sutton United.
Leeds United boss Garry Monk has told BBC Radio Leeds that if Hadi Sacko is fit for this weekend’s FA Cup fourth round tie with Sutton United, he will play regardless of the surface the game will be played on.
The exciting winger has not played for the Whites since their emphatic victory over Rotherham United at the start of the month due to a knee injury, and despite Monk suggesting that he was nearing a return to the first-team (via Yorkshire Evening Post), he played no part in Leeds’ win over Nottingham Forest on Wednesday night.
Bristol City’s Luke Freeman and Leeds’ Hadi Sacko in action
But while some may have expected Monk to be hesitant about bringing Sacko back into the first-team for their game against the National League side given that they play on an artificial pitch, the Leeds boss suggested that the surface will not come into his thinking.
“If you’re fit, you can play, that’s how I look at it,” he told BBC Radio Leeds.
“I don’t make excuses, I don’t have a culture or environment where we make excuses. The players are here to play football and to do their best and whatever circumstances we face we meet them head on.
Leeds United manager Garry Monk
“It’s for me to assess the players over the next couple of days, do the right kind of training, we’re lucky we have an artificial pitch at Thorp Arch where we can mimic as best as we can the preparations.”
Though Leeds have done well in Sacko’s absence, and, on paper, have more than enough quality to beat Paul Doswell’s men, having the 22-year-old back amongst their ranks will provide the squad with a big boost.
The youngster has made a promising start to life at Elland Road, with two goals and three assists coming in the Championship, and the pace he provides gives Leeds another dimension again, which could be so crucial over the coming months.
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