The international break is upon us, and due to injuries, there are no Leeds players in the England squad this time around.
Patrick Bamford and Kalvin Phillips have both appeared for the Three Lions in recent months, but their fitness problems meant that Gareth Southgate hasn’t picked them this time around.
It’s not surprising to see Phillips and Bamford absent from the senior side, but there was one notable Leeds absentee in the U21s – Joe Gelhardt.
Gelhardt has every right to be angry with his U21s snub. The only recognised number nine in the squad was Folarin Balogun, and Gelhardt has been outperforming the Middlesbrough loanee this season.
Indeed, Gelhardt has the same number of goals in the Premier League as Balogun does in the Championship, and he’s actually played fewer league minutes.
The striker is catching the eye every time he plays. In fact, he was described as ‘special’ by Jamie Carragher after his goal against Norwich, but for some reason, he’s been snubbed by the U21s.
Gelhardt has every right to be angry with that decision, but we can imagine that Leeds United are quite happy that he’s not joining up with the Young Lions.
Indeed, Leeds are going through what can only be described as a catastrophic injury crisis, and the last thing they need is their players going off and playing extra minutes at international level and running the risk of picking up injuries.
United are probably quite happy that Gelhardt is sticking around Thorp Arch for the next fortnight, but the player himself may feel aggrieved that he’s been overlooked by Lee Carsley on this occasion.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
