Jesse Marsch’s biggest selection decision this week will depend on the fitness of Patrick Bamford. The striker left the field during Leeds United’s clash with Southampton at the weekend with a tight groin and it remains to be seen whether he will be fit enough to take on his former club Chelsea on Sunday.
As such, Marsch will be checking on his star striker’s health this week as he puts together a game plan for the Blues. However, the head coach will also be considering how best to use his new £21m winger Luis Sinisterra against Thomas Tuchel’s side this Sunday.
Leeds fans have hardly seen Sinisterra since his move from Feyenoord, with the Colombia international’s game time being severely limited by injury. Marsch had hoped to see more from him on the club’s pre-season tour of Australia, but instead the 23-year-old could only play bit-part roles against Brisbane Roar and Aston Villa.
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He produced a couple bright moments during those brief stints on the field Down Under, but his tour was ended when he picked up a hamstring injury in the first half of the Whites’ draw with Crystal Palace in Perth. That injury ensured he was forced to watch Leeds’ Premier League opener against Wolves from the stand at Elland Road.
Sinisterra was fit enough to travel to Southampton last weekend, though, and after being named on the bench, he managed to make his United bow at St Mary’s. Unfortunately, he wasn’t given enough time to really make an impact on the game, entering the fray in the 84 th minute, but his stint on the field was enough for him to get a taste of the English top flight.
As such, Marsch may well be keen to give him a little more game time this weekend as Chelsea make the trip to West Yorkshire. It seems the American is unlikely to draft him into the starting line-up at this stage, given the early season form of Brenden Aaronson and Jack Harrison, but supporters can at least expect to see Sinisterra pick up a few more minutes off the bench this time around.
He’ll certainly be keen to make an impression, too, in the hope of announcing himself to a new fanbase on a rather large stage. The winger was hailed as one of the best in the Eredivisie last season and after scoring 23 goals and recording 14 assists in all competitions for Feyenoord, his arrival at Elland Road was met with plenty of hype.
His signing came in the days preceding Raphinha’s exit and it is inevitable that he will be considered to be something of a replacement for the Brazilian, who made his debut for Barcelona last weekend. Supporters are therefore intrigued to see just what the South American can do in a white shirt and they’ll be watching closely when his number appears in green on the fourth official’s board.
It could be a big weekend for Sinisterra and if he is given the chance against the Blues, he’ll aim to start as he means to go on.
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