Egzjan Alioski might have to help out Leeds United team-mate Luke Ayling with the tricky and in-form Harvey Barnes.
If anyone is guaranteed to start Leeds United’s trip to Barnsley this afternoon, it’s Egzjan Alioski.
The Macedonia international has been in great form as of late and has three goals in his last four Championship games, finally showing the sort of consistency that Leeds need in their promotion push.
Thomas Christiansen has often tinkered with the 25-year-old, using him on the left-hand side of midfield this season at times, but it is imperative that the United boss keeps him on the right at Oakwell; not strictly because of what he brings going forward, but also because of his defensive capabilities.
Right-back Luke Ayling has been a mixed bag lately but he is charged with the task of keeping Harvey Barnes quiet, the left wing who has four goals and five assists from 11 Championship starts.
The 19-year-old is bang in form and you wonder if struggling Ayling will need a bit of help defensively from Alioski, who plays a left wing-back role for his country which will have made him familiar with defensive duties.
Nobody is asking the £3.2 million summer signing to stay camped in his own half for 90 minutes, but he is a hell of a lot more capable of helping out with the tricky Barnes than Pablo Hernandez or Hadi Sacko, two men capable of playing right midfield for Leeds.
Alioski has been praised for his attacking talents in recent weeks, and rightly so, but he might have to get his hands dirty this afternoon and Christiansen needs to make sure he’s in the right place to do so.
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