Failing to sign a back-up for Leeds United left-back Charlie Taylor is an accident waiting to happen.
Regardless of whether Charlie Taylor stays or goes in January, Leeds United must sign a left-back when the transfer window re-opens.
The Sun reported that Leeds are trying to tie the 23-year-old – who handed in a transfer request during the summer – down to a new deal.
If that materialises it is great news for the Whites, but Garry Monk, if he is still in charge at the time, still needs an appropriate back-up option.
A couple of months ago it seemed like Leeds had a very able deputy in Tyler Denton, who marked his senior debut with a stunning goal in the League Cup win at Luton.
But fast forward 43 days and the 21-year-old has not played since – not even the third-round clash with Blackburn, a tie which his goal set up – and has not been named in one of Monk’s match-day squads for any Championship outing.
He has been given a taste of senior football but he remains very much a Leeds Under-23 player. Last week, Denton also received criticism from youth coach Jason Blunt for conceding a silly free kick which led to Bristol City’s U-23 side equalising.
That won’t have escaped Monk’s attention and the ex-Swansea manager may be more reluctant to trust him to do a job if Taylor were to fall injured.
By virtue of the fact that Taylor has started 50 of Leeds’ last 56 league games, it is easy to see why there is less urgency to sign cover for a player who is rarely injured, but it’s a gamble and there’s too much to lose for Leeds and Monk if it backfires.
Right-back Gaetano Berardi could fill in, but relying on the Swiss, who has suffered three injuries this calendar year, would also be very shortsighted.
United have a good squad, one which can justifiably hope to finish in the playoff spots come May, but an overdue injury to Taylor could simply be detrimental for their promotion chances, unless of course Monk plans for that scenario.
Leeds United’s manager Garry Monk
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