Marcelo Bielsa admits he’s about to take a risk at Leeds United

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Leeds United midfielder Adam Forshaw is making his way back from injury.

Marcelo Bielsa has admitted to Leeds Live that he is going to take a risk by playing Adam Forshaw in Leeds United’s under-23 matches to get him back up to speed.

Bielsa suggested last week that he wanted Forshaw to play in Leeds’ development squad matches to aid his recovery.

But Patrick Bamford was also required to play at that level, and the striker ended up picking up an injury which is set to keep him out for four months.

Bamford’s injury has led to suggestions that Bielsa could change his policy, and not gamble by picking senior players to play for Leeds under-23 side.

But Bielsa insists that although he is taking a risk by putting Forshaw in the development squad, he wants the midfielder to sharpen up his game away from the first-team.

“He needs football with pace,” Bielsa said. “And you can get the pace only playing. It was the the same thing as Bamford, so we have to take some risks. The players we have are fit, we need them to be fit but also have the pace of the competition, so that’s why we make them play in the 23s.

“There are always risks, but the bigger risk is that you put in the first-team a player who doesn’t have the pace of a professional game.”

Forshaw has missed the whole of the season so far with injury, but he is back in full training now.

Forshaw will be in competition with the likes of Kalvin Phillips and Mateusz Klich for a first-team place.

Leeds under-23’s are next in action later today, when they take on Sheffield Wednesday.