Suspension has been a blessing in disguise for Tyler Adams as he acclimatises to life back at Leeds United after a whirlwind World Cup carrying the hopes and dreams of the United States. Jesse Marsch and the medical team have given the midfielder extra time to sharpen up slowly for his return at Newcastle United on New Year’s Eve.
The USA captain will be unavailable to face Manchester City on Wednesday because of his two yellow cards in the previous match against Tottenham Hotspur. That opens up a crucial slot in the XI for Marsch to fill.
A departure from the customary 4-2-3-1 in the last two friendlies has set the groundwork for change in that midfield department too. Adam Forshaw, Sam Greenwood and Mateusz Klich are all in Marsch’s thinking.
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“First of all, for him (Adams), it's been good he's not available because it gives him a little bit more time to kind of gradually build in,” he said. “The demands on him mentally and physically were so high at the World Cup.
“He's come out of it in a good way. He's excited to get back to work. He's obviously very confident and eager to get going, but he's on track personally.
“We've got Adam back in the mix and he played fantastic for the 60 minutes last night (Wednesday vs Monaco). Sam Greenwood has made a lot of progress.
“Obviously, Marc [Roca] is a cornerstone in what we're doing, even with the way we've modified how we play a little bit, a little bit more 4-3-3 against the ball. Klichy played well in a couple of our matches, and once he gets out of his sickness, he'll be a factor moving forward.
“We have options and then it'll just be about, within the new structure we're trying to create with and against the ball, how to use guys the best way to feed in their strengths.”
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