Jack Harrison could be left out of Leeds United’s starting XI to face Wolves on Saturday, according to former Sunderland striker Kevin Phillips.
The Lowdown: Leeds host Wolves
The Whites are back in Premier League action this afternoon, as they look to finally kick their 2021/22 season into gear.
Last Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Southampton was the latest disappointing showing in a string of worrying results, which have them languishing in 17th place in the table.
The Latest: Harrison tipped to be left out
A win is much-needed against a Wolves side who have won their last three league matches and it will be interesting to see how Marcelo Bielsa’s starting lineup looks.
Speaking to Football Insider, Phillips , 48, claimed Harrison could be the man to make way, allowing Raphinha and Dan James to start out wide, even though he didn’t rule out the prospect of all three starting:
“It wouldn’t surprise me if Bielsa played all three [Raphinha, James and Harrison] to go all-out to win the match. But if someone were to make way, it would have to be Harrison.
“With James coming in for big money, you’d like to think he will start. Raphinha will play, he’s one of their best players.
“I would have thought it will be a straight swap for Harrison.”
The Verdict: Right decision?
Harrison hasn’t made a big enough impact yet this season, failing to score or register an assist in six league appearances to date.
For that reason, Bielsa leaving him out would feel justified, allowing Raphinha and James to prove their worth and show that they should be the first-choice wide pairing moving forward.
Given the former’s brilliance, both for Leeds and Brazil, and the latter’s big-money move from Manchester United in the summer, it certainly feels like that could be the case moving forward.
In other news, a worrying update regarding Bielsa’s Leeds future has emerged. Read more here.
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