The Athletic's Phil Hay has delivered a major update on Leeds United midfielder Adam Forshaw.

What's the story?

The £60k-a-week earning ace has been out of action for Marcelo Bielsa's side for well over a year, and thus, is still yet to make an appearance in the Premier League for the Whites.

Now, Hay has suggested Forshaw is closing in on a potential return to the first-team, with the 29-year-old set to feature for the U23s.

He revealed: "Leeds midfielder Adam Forshaw could make his first competitive appearance in more than 18 months this week following a long fight to recover from hip surgery, reports Phil Hay. Forshaw has a chance of playing in the under-23s match between Leeds and Aston Villa on Friday, a year and a half on from his last first-team outing.

"Forshaw is understood to have completed an hour of a game organised between Leeds’ under-23s and non-League York City at Thorp Arch on Saturday. The former Middlesbrough midfielder is understood to have come safely through the 60-minute run-out and will now be considered for another academy game in the days ahead, raising the prospect of a first-team comeback."

Bielsa will be buzzing

Given how he's still been yet to call him up for a game in the Premier League, the news on Forshaw nearing a first-team comeback will surely have Bielsa buzzing.

Before his injury, the midfielder was clearly someone who had impressed the Argentine, who said: "Forshaw is a player who, when he has played, he is always between the better players of the team.

"He has a feature that is very difficult to get. He defends similar to Kalvin, he attacks similar to Klich. What he does close to Phillips doesn’t impede, it is not a problem for him when he goes close to Klich to attack.

[snack-amp-story url="https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-transfer-rumours-and-news" title="Latest Leeds transfer rumours and news"] "You are not going to find a lot of players with this kind of characteristic. Always Adam when he plays is one of the players who runs more and not just in total distance, in sprints in high intensity." With Leeds being linked to midfielders like Teun Koopmeiners ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window, Forshaw's impending return will give Bielsa some time to assess the 29-year-old before the end of the Premier League season and whether he can cut it at this level.

Meanwhile, Leeds are eyeing this 6 foot 3 powerhouse...