John Smith's Stadium, Huddersfield, Britain - July 29, 2022. Burnley's Josh Brownhill in action with Huddersfield Town's Jon Russell.
Huddersfield Town midfielder Jon Russell has been excluded by Mark Fotheringham after reaching a contract deadlock, according to reports in the last 48 hours.
The Lowdown: Negotiations hit a standstill
The Championship side made it all the way to the play-off final last year and came so close to securing promotion, with the 22-year-old being a standout performer in helping them get there.
With his contract set to expire at the end of the season, the Terriers are understandably keen to tie him down, but despite holding negotiations with his representatives, a mutual agreement is yet to have been reached.
The Latest: Russell frozen out
According to Football Insider, Russell has now been ‘frozen out’ by Huddersfield as a result of the ongoing ‘contract wrangle’ at the John Smith’s Stadium.
The 6 foot 3 ace has been omitted from the starting XI for the last six games, and for four of them, he wasn’t even named in the matchday squad.
It’s likely now that he won’t feature until the situation has ‘been resolved’.
The Verdict: Wrong decision
Prior to his absence, Russell started six of the season’s opening seven games and was a key cog in the midfield, and given the club are currently bottom of the league table, this is completely the wrong decision to make.
The former Chelsea starlet, dubbed the ‘Yorkshire Busquets’ by Romoney Crichlow, was averaging 1.3 tackles, 1.1 aerial duels won and had a pass success rate of 85.5% per league game (WhoScored).
Whilst off-field relationships are vital, everyone should pull together at a time of need which is why Huddersfield should re-think their choice if things on the pitch don’t start improving.
Should Russell still be allowed to play?
Yes
No
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