Brightness in what has been a dim season for Leeds United has come from Adam Forshaw and the way he has made himself a key player despite two years on the sidelines.
It was a surprise to see the central midfielder not included in Jesse Marsch’s first starting line-up at Leicester City on Saturday.
The American lined up with a 4-2-3-1 and Forshaw looked a natural fit in the double pivot, though he was left to make do with an appearance from the bench.
After praising Forshaw’s leadership qualities pre-match, Marsch was asked about his team selection and, more specifically, why he went with Robin Koch and Mateusz Klich.
“This was the group where most of them were able to train through the week and work through things on the pitch a little bit,” he said.
“I spoke to Adam before the match and told him that just because the fact he wasn't able to train throughout the week and we had a few other guys that only had modified training.
“We needed to put as many players who were 100 per cent on the pitch from the start as we could.
“I'm pleased with every single performance from every single guy.
“I've been watching these games, these guys, they run and fight and work for each other so much and I'm just trying to guide these efforts to help each other and to play as a unit.”
The rationale will be a boost for Forshaw’s chances of returning to the line-up when Aston Villa visit on Thursday night, assuming he has trained enough this week.
