The Whites’ captain had to be taken off during the early stages of the second-half against Blackburn.
Leeds United manager Garry Monk
While Garry Monk would undoubtedly have been pleased with his Leeds side after they picked up their first home win of the season on Tuesday, the victory over Blackburn may be slightly soured if it turns out that Liam Bridcutt has to miss any action.
The new United skipper had to be taken off just four minutes into the second-half. And while Monk would later tell BBC Radio Leeds that he is sure that the former Sunderland man will be ready for Saturday’s clash with Cardiff, he also explained that his knock still needed to be assessed.
Liam Bridcutt
With the side looking to capitalise on the momentum that they have taken from the 2-1 win at Elland Road, they will know that having Bridcutt available could be crucial to their hopes of making it back-to-back wins.
The 27-year-old has been excellent in the holding midfield role, providing the defence with support while also having the ability to start attacks with his composure on the ball.
| Error Lead To Shot GAME | Outfielder Block GAME | Total Tackle GAME | Won Tackle GAME | Interception Won GAME | Accurate Pass GAME | Touches GAME | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liam Bridcutt | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3.5 | 1 | 34.25 | 52.25 |
As the statistics show, Bridcutt is a very reliable performer who rarely makes errors that lead to chances for the opposition, and he is also unafraid of getting stuck in and breaking up play.
His passing ability is demonstrated by the number of accurate balls he plays per game, and Monk faces a key decision as to who replaces him if he is not ready.
Summer signing Eunan O’Kane in action for former club Bournemouth
The obvious contenders are Eunan O’Kane – who started alongside Bridcutt in the holding midfield area against Rovers – Ronaldo Viera, Toumani Diagouraga and Kalvin Phillips. Meanwhile, Luke Murphy may be hoping he can force his way into Monk’s plans and perhaps make his first league appearance of the campaign.
| Error Lead To Shot GAME | Outfielder Block GAME | Total Tackle GAME | Won Tackle GAME | Interception Won GAME | Accurate Pass GAME | Touches GAME | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toumani Diagouraga | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 36 | 52 |
| Eunan O’Kane | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 32 | 49 |
| Kalvin Phillips | 0 | 0 | 1.67 | 1.33 | 0.33 | 19.67 | 33.67 |
| Ronaldo Vieira | 0 | 0.8 | 3.2 | 2.2 | 1 | 32.8 | 51.2 |
The stats appear to show that each contender would bring something different to the table if selected. But while Diagouraga’s reading of the game appears to be the best of the quartet – as he boasts the best interception figures – the Frenchman surely does not feature if Monk bases his selection on the statistics alone.
O’Kane clearly enjoyed a promising debut. Despite often playing further forward before his move to Leeds, the Irishman shone alongside Bridcutt, winning all three challenges he went in for and making 32 accurate passes.
Vieira challenging for the ball against Nottingham Forest
However, Vieira appears to be the man that contributes the most. The 18-year-old is the most tenacious of the four, making on average 3.2 challenges per game, which suggests that he will provide the defence with more support than Diagouraga would.
And with Vieira having made just a handful of appearances for the first-team, it seems likely that his figures will only improve as he gets more chances.
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