Rasmus Kristensen has labelled the battle for Leeds United’s right back spot as ‘intense’. Kristensen has began the season as first choice in that position but is not short of competition breathing down his neck.
Jesse Marsch also has two very different options at his disposal in the form of Luke Ayling and Cody Drameh. The two are at opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of their careers, but are both certainly more than capable of battling Kristensen for that first choice role.
Ayling has made over 200 appearances for the Whites but spent all of pre-season, and the opening month of the campaign injured. Drameh, meanwhile, spent the second half of last term on loan at Cardiff City and was hoping to make an impact on Leeds’ first team after impressing massively in South Wales.
READ MORE: Rasmus Kristensen's honest response to Leeds United opponents' 'frustrating' time-wasting tactics
Kristensen has missed just one match since arriving from RB Salzburg in the summer, which was the 5-2 defeat at Brentford. Drameh was handed a start that afternoon, though Ayling did replace him with 20 minutes remaining and seemed to overtake him in the pecking order almost instantly with an assist.
Kristensen has not had the easiest start to life in the Premier League but Marsch opted to stick with the Dane against Aston Villa, even with Ayling back to full fitness. Speaking in an interview with BBC Radio Leeds, the 25-year-old believes competition can only be a good thing for both him and the club.
He said: “It is definitely intense, quality. I mean it’s the way it should be at a Premier League club. Quality in every position, we can change, play with different types of players, we can do loads of things.
“At the end of the day I think it’s going to make everybody better, it’s beneficial for the club which is always the most important thing so that we can do well, succeed and look up and not down in the table.”
READ NEXT:
- Leeds United's World Cup plan dictated by managerless Wolves but Jesse Marsch's made one guarantee
- Joe Gelhardt's omission, Wilfried Gnonto's Leeds chance and Victor Orta's Chelsea temptations
- Leeds United would need to break the habit of a year for Joe Gelhardt to even become a debate
- Sonny Perkins and Mateo Joseph are forcing the Leeds United issue with Jesse Marsch
- Jesse Marsch has delivered his Leeds United message to players unhappy with their match time
