Only one change may be in the offing for Marcelo Bielsa on Wednesday night at Aston Villa as his bench sees the biggest injury boosts of the international break.
With Junior Firpo, Liam Cooper, Patrick Bamford and Kalvin Phillips ruled out of the Birmingham trip, Adam Forshaw looks like the only man capable of disrupting the Leeds United XI which began the Newcastle United loss.
The big question is who makes way. Robin Koch, Mateusz Klich, Rodrigo or Daniel James seem like the main candidates and all have been backed by Bielsa in recent weeks.
Koch is making small improvements as the defensive midfielder backing up Phillips and started there in the West Ham United win ahead of Forshaw, who was pushed into a more advanced role that day.
Mateusz Klich has been in and out of the team this season, but his impeccable injury record has seen him play his way into Bielsa’s thoughts lately.
Bielsa rates Rodrigo higher than most members of his squad and knows the Spain international can only reach his best level with consistent starts. In which position though?
Had we asked this question in September 2020, Rodrigo would have been a certainty as the side’s striker in Bamford’s absence, but Bielsa’s stoic defence of James in his pre-match press conference spells anything but the end for the Wales winger up top.
Furthermore, in Rodrigo’s last four starts he has begun in central midfield or at least playing off James as the line-up’s main forward.
Koch’s start in the Phillips role at West Ham, Rodrigo’s need for minutes and James’s sustained backing in the frontline may mean it’s Klich who makes way for Forshaw.
Charlie Cresswell, Crysencio Summerville and Jamie Shackleton will hopefully return to the bench and boost its average age in the second city.
Predicted line-up: Meslier; Ayling, Llorente, Struijk, Dallas; Koch; Raphinha, Forshaw, Rodrigo, Harrison; James.
