Jesse Marsch has a number of key decisions to make this weekend as he begins to piece together his starting line-up to face Aston Villa on Sunday at Elland Road. He’s had a long time to think about them since the Whites lost to Brentford at the start of September, but Marsch will be pondering changes in defence, midfield and attack.
The head coach will be glad for the selection headache, it’s a sign of the depth and talent he has at his disposal, but he’ll be having one or two difficult conversations over the coming days as the weekend nears. One of the biggest decisions Marsch must make comes at right-back with Rasmus Kristensen, Luke Ayling and Cody Drameh battling it out for the spot.
The trio will all be desperate to be involved against the Villans, but only one can feature in their natural position and it remains to be seen who’ll get the nod. Kristensen and Ayling are the senior options and it seems they are both ever so slightly ahead of Drameh in the pecking order right now.
Read more: Sinisterra, Koch challenge, Gnonto's role - what Leeds United learnt from international break
In the absence of Kristensen, though, and with Ayling making his return from injury off the bench, Drameh was the man selected to start Leeds’ last game in west London at right-back. The 20-year-old looked adept in the role, too, despite the 5-2 scoreline.
He held his position, he was sound on the ball and he fared reasonably well against the attacking threat of Brentford’s record signing Keane Lewis-Potter. He was even praised briefly for his performance by Marsch after the game, however, it seems highly likely that he will be one making way this weekend for either Kristensen or Ayling and he could struggle for another Premier League opportunity over the coming weeks and months.
It’s a difficult situation for Drameh, who is clearly desperate for the game time he knows he needs in order to continue his development and growth. The England under-21 international saw senior action on a regular basis while out on loan at Cardiff City last season, starring on the right side under Steve Morison and looking at home in the men’s game.
Another loan move to the Championship was mooted towards the end of the transfer window, but after watching his progress over the summer, the head coach opted to keep him around.
“Cody and I had some tough conversations at the end of last year when we had him in for training,” Marsch said. “He had a very good experience at Cardiff and in his mind, maybe wanted to stay there. I challenged him to think about challenging himself to be here.
“It was really good he got games, he was playing well and I watched, not every game, but I got highlights of most of his games and I watched a lot of his actions. Over time he's enjoyed being here and in there he has played good football and with him, they kind of go hand in hand.
“The key for him is to not need the enjoyment and need more of the drive to be the best he can possibly be and get out of his comfort zone, which he did by going to Cardiff, but challenge himself at a high level to really maximise who he can be every day.
“He's done that in a big way. It's been a pleasure. I've seen him grow a lot in the last weeks. He's performed well within the team. He's fit well within the team.”
The question is this, then: what next for Drameh and how does he continue to push his career in the right direction? Just eight games remain before the World Cup break and his chances of sufficient game time in the senior set-up appear slim at this stage.
He may make the odd appearance with Michael Skubala’s Under-21s, but there’s only so much to take from such a level and it certainly wouldn’t satisfy his first-team cravings. As such, depending on how the land lies and the club’s injury situation over the winter, he may see a loan away from Elland Road in January as an attractive option, as he did last season when he found himself in a similar boat.
After seeing him thrive in South Wales, there would be plenty of suitors for his signature this time around and with his path into the Marsch’s side appearing crowded, it might just be something Leeds revisit in a few months’ time.
READ NEXT:
Leeds United have an opportunity to set the tone for pivotal period in Aston Villa clash
Former Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa turns down job offer
Michael Skubala on Leeds United U21s rapid development and international advantages
Leeds United boost after international break as stars return with spring in their step
