It’s fair to say Adam Forshaw’s season hasn’t gone to plan so far. The Leeds United midfielder is in the final year of his deal at Elland Road but he hasn’t had the chance to prove his worth with injuries getting the best of him once more.
Forshaw has made three appearances for the Whites, but last week’s win over Elche was the 31-year-old’s first run out since stepping off the bench against Brighton and Hove Albion back in August. It was a low key performance in Spain but he will have been happy to get 61 minutes under his belt as he looks to leave his latest injury issue behind him and finally get his season up and running.
His game time will continue to be managed, of course, but the midfielder is expected to be involved once more on Friday night against Real Sociedad and next week against Monaco, too, as the return of the Premier League campaign edges closer. He’ll be determined to stake a claim for a spot in Jesse Marsch’s plans, but as he enters an uncertain few months, his future will be on his mind.
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Forshaw has been with Leeds since 2018, making 82 appearances in all competitions, but the contract he signed in January is due to expire at the end of the current campaign. Leeds do hold the option to extend his contract by another year, but their plans regarding the midfielder’s future remain unknown, with a final decision to be made in the coming months.
There’s plenty for the club to consider, though, before a definitive call either way can be made on Forshaw’s immediate future. The former Middlesbrough and Brentford man’s extensive injury record will certainly be the first thing Leeds take into account before coming to a decision.
A hip injury ruled him out of the majority of Leeds’ promotion-winning Championship campaign and first Premier League season and a fractured kneecap saw last season end prematurely for him. Hernia and knee issues have resulted more inactivity this time around with Forshaw going under the knife to resolve the former.
If he can build up some traction and consistency over the next few weeks and months and stay healthy, Forshaw may just have the opportunity to underline what he can offer the Whites moving forward. Consistent game time will be hard to come by while Tyler Adams and Marc Roca are fit and firing, though, and that’s something else Leeds will think long and hard about.
Forshaw is far from being guaranteed game time and if he were to stick around at Elland Road beyond the end of the season, he could find himself on the fringes of the squad. The decision makers will be taking note of his performance levels over the next few months and assessing what, at the age of 31, Forshaw has to offer in the top flight.
However, with age comes experience and that’s always valuable, particularly at Leeds, who currently boast a young squad. He’s been there and done it as a player and when the going gets tough, Forshaw may find himself handing out advice and guidance to his teammates as one of the most respected members of the squad.
Depending on Leeds’ business elsewhere, Forshaw could also be seen as vital when it comes to providing midfield depth. Mateusz Klich has been linked away with a move to the MLS being mooted, and the possibility of losing two senior options in the middle within such a short space of time might not sit comfortably with the Whites.
As such, keeping Forshaw on and extending his deal once more may appeal to United from that point of view, should it make sense financially. Forshaw isn’t the only man at Elland Road in this situation, with decisions to be made on Luke Ayling and Joel Robles before the end of the campaign, too.
However, the club have some thinking to do when it comes to Forshaw’s future and he’ll be determined to do all he can to force their hand.
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