We’re rapidly running out of full-backs as we prepare to face Burnley, so Aidy White will get the opportunity to show that he does have a future at Elland Road after all.
During the transfer window we tried to loan White out to Barnsley, only for Aidy to refuse to go, as he wanted to stay at Leeds and fight for his place. And tomorrow we will be pretty glad that he did, as Stephen Warnock serving a one match ban due to his red card at Reading, and Adam Drury missing his opportunity through injury.
I’ve always thought he was too lightweight to play left-back, but the player himself doesn’t think so. Brian McDermott told the official site "Aidy did well in pre-season and we’re trying to nail down his position. We’ve had a good conversation and he wants to play left back. Aidy has been here since he was nine-years-old and he really wants to play for Leeds United, and I said I would give him every opportunity to do well.”
And the other full-back position is also a problem for the manager tomorrow, with Lee Peltier still trouble by the groin injury which saw him taken off at Bolton and caused him to miss the Reading game. Sam Byram could be back to replace him, but if he isn’t ready for his comeback then Tom Lees will have to continue at right back.
Brian McDermott has been trying to lift his squad after the shattering disappointment of the last ditch defeat in a game he badly wanted to win at his former club. He told the Yorkshire Post "Over 40-odd games in a season you’re going to get knockbacks. We’ll move on from that and move on quickly. I’ve told the players to get on with it. We move on to the next game against Burnley and let’s make sure we get it right against them.”
But it doesn’t look being an easy game, as Burnley have surprised some with their good start to the season. They are currently sitting in in fourth place, despite finishing below halfway in the final table last season. They have only one defeat so far, and have won two of the three games away from home. They have had the advantage of a settled site, and Sean Dyche will be able to able to name the same side who beat Birmingham 3-0 on Tuesday, provided defender Ben Mee recovers from illness.
Leeds need a win to get the promotion campaign back on track, as Wednesday’s defeat has left us in eleventh place, four places lower than we would have been without that last minute goal. But with the lack of firepower we’ve suffered this season I reckon that the most likely outcome is that we’ll have to make do with a draw.