Leeds United defender Conor Shaughnessy has not featured in the Championship for weeks.
Many of Leeds United’s current problems can be attributed to a lack of a consistent centre-back pairing this season.
Pontus Jansson and Kyle Bartley formed the backbone of their team last season, but this campaign there has been more chopping and changing.
This has owed to suspension and injury, and it saw young talent Conor Shaughnessy step in during the first few weeks of the campaign.
In recent weeks however the 21-year-old has had to watch from the sidelines as the club’s form took a nosedive.
Shaughnessy has played just one game since September, a 2-1 Carabao Cup loss to Premier League side Leicester City in which he acquitted himself well.
His time out of the side has coincided with loanee Matthew Pennington’s return from injury, and while the Everton talent has played well, Leeds are not winning games.
He was dropped from the side a little unfairly – not due to performance, but because he was down at the bottom of the pecking order.
The Whites have lost six of their last seven matches, and have made changes in defence during this time, with Liam Cooper and Pontus Jansson competing for positions.
Whatever Leeds try, it does not seem to be working, and Shaughnessy can consider himself unlucky not to be given a chance.
He was involved early this season when confidence was high and the team were winning games, and Leeds might want to consider getting the Irishman involved this weekend against Brentford as they seek to shake things up.
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