Adam Forshaw stunned Marcelo Bielsa by returning to a ‘very high level’ so soon after the Leeds United midfielder returned from a lengthy injury absence, via quotes by Leeds Live.
Bielsa was without Forshaw for the entirety of the Whites’ first season back in the Premier League last term. He also missed most of their 2019/20 Championship-winning campaign, after needing multiple surgeries on a serious hip injury sustained back in September 2019.
The 30-year-old made his long-awaited return to action at Southampton this October with a 26-minute cameo on the south coast. Forshaw has since started eight of Leeds’ following 10 top-flight fixtures, plus their Carabao Cup fourth-round loss away to Arsenal.
Bielsa has relied on Forshaw more than he likely expected in October after Leeds lost Kalvin Phillips to injury. He has missed their last three games and will also not return until March.
Bielsa lauds Forshaw for ‘high level’ Leeds performances
While Forshaw has regained a key role in Bielsa’s plans, the Leeds midfielder’s £20k-a-week deal expires in June. He signed four-year terms after his £4.5m move from Middlesbrough.
Bielsa will not be involved in discussions between Leeds and Forshaw over a new contract. But the Argentine is grateful he is an option again with Stuart Dallas and Mateusz Klich.
“The extension of Forshaw’s contract is something between Forshaw and the institution,” Bielsa said. “Clearly, his return to the team has been satisfactory. When he’s played as a defensive mid or a box-to-box midfielder, he’s offered solutions.
“In the absence of Phillips, he’s helped to resolve it with Pascal [Struijk] and [Robin] Koch. He’s offered options that are very necessary at the No8 position with Klich and Dallas.
“His level of performance is the same to that prior to his injury. Prior to him stopping playing, he was at a very good level and two-years after, he’s been able to play at a very high level in a higher level of competition. That is not common.”
Pause in games may actually benefit Forshaw
Bielsa will hope Forshaw is able to hit the same levels he showed earlier this month when Leeds host Burnley on Sunday. The Whites will not have played in 15-days by the time the Clarets visit Elland Road after they postponed meetings with Liverpool and Aston Villa.
Forshaw may actually benefit from the break in fixtures, rather than playing games in quick succession. Arsenal ran rings around him during the Whites’ last fixture. The Gunners clash also marked his sixth match in a row in which he played the full 90-minutes.
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