Amid a growing injury crisis at Leeds United, Marcelo Bielsa may be looking towards the club's talented academy group for someone who could come in and fill a major void in the first-team.

With all the talk surrounding Kalvin Phillips and Patrick Bamford being out injured, Luke Ayling's absence has perhaps gone under the radar, but the versatile defender has been a steady presence for the Whites over the years.

If Bielsa is on the lookout for the man to potentially replace him, not just for the long-term but even for the here and now, then Cody Drameh might be the man to whom the Argentine can turn.

In the 19-year-old, Leeds see someone who has a really bright future in the game, with The Athletic's Phil Hay making it clear just how highly they rate him behind the scenes.

He said: "When they were signing players like Drameh for example, they were talking about him being a long-term successor to Luke Ayling. Ayling is coming up to 30, he’s not coming towards the latter stages of his career, but he’s advanced now in years.

"Whereas Drameh is very young, and because of the talent he has, and he has looked extremely good in the U23s games, they hope that there is a Premier League right-back there who they’ve signed for a small fee from Fulham who will ultimately be worth a lot more down the line."

Drameh's potential is there for all to see, with Eredivisie scout Xander Wilkinson raving about his defensive nous, saying: "Defensively so impressive! His mind works quicker than most right-backs I’ve seen in a naturally defensive mindset. Tactically very aware of what is being asked of him, times his engagements well, needs to add a little more unpredictability going forward."

Meanwhile, LUTV commentator Tom Hill described the teenager as a "box of tricks" a couple of months ago after an impressive performance against Sunderland at under-23 level, and that bodes well for his future as a more adventurous full-back.

If Ayling continues to be missing, then unleashing the teenage talent could prove to be a stroke of genius from Bielsa.

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