Only one of the senior, fit Leeds United players failed to start any of the three friendlies in Australia. Mateusz Klich has more Whites appearances than all but three members of the current squad, but the popular Pole is facing his biggest fight for minutes since Thomas Christiansen shipped him out in 2018.
If the trend began with Jesse Marsch’s chopping and changing with Klich down the 2022 run-in (one 90-minute run-out in 12 games), it continued on tour where he was evidently down the pecking order. The head coach appears to have settled on 4-2-3-1 as his primary formation with Leeds and Klich is one of those competing for the central attacking midfielder berth.
Brenden Aaronson and Rodrigo are Marsch’s preferred picks behind a striker with 20-year-old Sam Greenwood’s versatility even meaning he has seen more action than Klich this summer. Once he was left out of the starting line-up and subsequent raft of half-time substitutes in Perth, Klich’s status was only underlined.
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Klich has been at the cornerstone of the revival which has awakened a city and a football club since 2018. The 32-year-old was Marcelo Bielsa’s right-hand man, missing one league line-up (with a hangover) in 112 between August 2018 and January 2021, but for the first time since the Argentine’s arrival he may be weighing up his options.
The World Cup is looming large at the end of this year. Poland will face Argentina, Saudi Arabia and Mexico in Group C and Klich will want to be involved.
The midfielder has been a regular with Poland since he became a regular under Bielsa, but he will know a bit-part role at Elland Road only opens the door wider for other contenders. Injuries and form will play their part at Leeds and Klich will be used, but will he want to rely on others slipping up for him to get a chance?
Klich has made a life for himself in West Yorkshire. Leeds is the backbone of his career, where he began a family, won a league title and forced his way into the national team.
Only Stuart Dallas, Liam Cooper and Luke Ayling can claim to be more established pieces in the furniture at LS11. United is Klich’s club and his home. There is no noise around an exit, but match time will be a consideration he has before the window closes in five weeks.
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