Sam Greenwood faces spending the next three-months on the sidelines, as Jesse Marsch is unlikely to field the striker at all as he bids to steer Leeds United to Premier League safety.
That’s according to the Yorkshire Evening Post, who report Greenwood is a step closer to a first-team role after Marcelo Bielsa’s departure. However, he is unlikely to feature over the final months of the term, barring injuries for the three forwards ahead in the pecking order.
Greenwood is the fourth-choice striker at Elland Road behind Patrick Bamford, Rodrigo and Joe Gelhardt at present. Bamford will enjoy a steady feed of minutes over the Whites’ next games after his return from injury. While Gelhardt is pushing Rodrigo to be the number two.
Greenwood, himself, also recently had surgery for a knee injury and has only just returned to fitness. Marsch included the 20-year-old on the bench during his first match in charge at Leicester. But he did not build on his 12-minute league debut against Arsenal in December.
Bielsa afforded the former Gunners talent he signed for £1.5m, rising to £3m, his bow over the winter. The Premier League clash was Greenwood’s fourth first-team outing with Leeds across all competitions so far. But he has only started one game during an FA Cup tie.
Marsch unlikely to play Leeds talent Greenwood at all this season
Greenwood now faces spending the final three-months on the sidelines as Marsch looks to keep Leeds in the Premier League. The England U21 star is yet to score a senior goal, but has hit nine and assisted four in 16 U23s games this term, plus once for the Young Lions.
The Sunderland-born striker will now hope to impress Marsch in training at Thorp Arch and force a change of mind. He has already impressed considerably at youth level since moving to West Yorkshire. Former Ireland international Stephen Elliott being one of his admirers.
“Not only is this lad a good player, but I’d say he would nearly guarantee you at least six-eight goals a season from free-kicks,” Elliott once wrote on Twitter. “Ridiculous technique. So consistent with them.”
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