The Leeds United midfielder has looked out of sorts in pre-season and there are plenty ready to take his place.
Pre-season is a time for players to build up their fitness and, in some cases, impress the new man in charge.
That is certainly the case at Leeds United, where Thomas Christiansen has replaced Garry Monk as manager and quickly brought in a whole host of new players in a bid to make 2018 the year when the Whites finally return to the top flight.
While those new additions will use the summer to bed in and get used to their teammates, the Leeds players Christiansen has inherited will understand the importance of staking a claim for a starting spot on the opening day.
As club captain, Liam Bridcutt would have been expected to do just that. However the Scottish international has carried on as he finished last season, with some underwhelming performances that suggest he would not be missed if he was shipped out in the current transfer window.
With Leeds needing strength in depth as they attempt to mount a title charge, Christiansen is unlikely to sell many of the players he opted to take with him on tour. But if Bridcutt remains he may have to get used to a sustained spell on the substitutes’ bench.
The 28-year-old has been well short of the standard expected during pre-season and with Kalvin Phillips and Eunan O’Kane both proving their worth, despite previous criticism, Bridcutt may have slipped to the bottom of the list when it comes to Leeds’ midfield options.
New signing Mateusz Klich is expected to start more often than not while Ronaldo Vieira is only going to get better with a full season under his belt.
As for Bridcutt, he could be a bit-part player at best next season, and only he can change that by upping his game and hoping for the best.
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