Luke Ayling’s loss of form has been troublesome for Leeds.
Leeds United defender Luke Ayling continued his worrying loss of form at the weekend against Middlesbrough.
Ayling has not looked the same player since returning from injury in late December.
He had missed two months of action prior to this, halting a superb start to the season.
Ayling’s surges forward were a key element of Marcelo Bielsa’s side’s early season form, and defensively he was at the top of his game.
He has now played 10 games since returning and Leeds have only kept a clean sheet in one, a 2-0 win over Derby.
Ayling was substituted for Jamie Shackleton with Leeds chasing the game away to ‘Boro and some Leeds fans are calling for the teenager to replace the 27-year-old in the starting line up.
A rest may do Ayling some good after his underwhelming return.
Ayling signed for Leeds from Bristol City for just £750,000 in 2016.
In the two-and-a-half seasons since, this fee has looked like one of the best bargains Leeds have struck in the past decade.
Recent weeks have had him looking like a £750,000 player again, a strictly average full-back.
Ayling is capable of so much more, and both he and manager Marcelo Bielsa must figure out a way to get him back to his best.
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