Leeds United star’s new nickname for Pascal Struijk highlights what attack has missed

“Yes, he’s ready to start,” is what Daniel Farke said of Pascal Struijk ahead of Sheffield United on Monday. It’s perhaps the question many Leeds United fans bouncing out of Elland Road had been asking.

The defender had played the full 90 minutes against Millwall in the FA Cup defeat nine days earlier but that was in a much-changed side and in different circumstances. He missed a penalty in that game and questions can still be asked about why he was allowed to take it so soon after coming back from injury.

His hamstring setback was why Farke was hesitant to start him against Sunderland on Monday. “I was thinking, to bring a centre-back for the first time in a long time into a game when you have to defend counter attacks against Wilson Isidor, it’s a bit difficult,” the boss explained.

Supporters will be keen for Struijk to start his first league match since New Year’s Day against Sheffield United given what they saw in the 20-odd minutes he was on the pitch for on Monday.

In between his goals, the 25-year-old added more balance to the team, allowing Ethan Ampadu to reprise his midfield anchor role. Struijk snuffed out any attempts of a Sunderland breakaway with the Black Cats hardly getting a sniff after he came on.

United ended the match with close to their strongest starting XI on the pitch and the side came up trumps in dramatic fashion, in part thanks to another substitute. “He’s kind of our unsung hero,” Joe Rodon said of double assist-provider Joe Rothwell after full-time.

Struijk will grab the headlines for his headers but Rothwell should equally get the plaudits. His two magnificent assists were the best deliveries of the evening, the last of which was from his weaker left foot.

It prompted Farke to brand the Bournemouth loanee a “pure baller” in his post-match press conference. “For him to come on and change the game – yeah, I’m not surprised,” Rodon also added.

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