Why Eddie Nketiah's January decision is as important to himself as Leeds United and Marcelo Bielsa - David Prutton

It feels like Leeds United have a big few weeks ahead in their season.

A trip to Birmingham City awaits on Sunday before a humdinger of a tie at the Hawthorns with West Brom. The Eddie Nketiah situation is also going to come to a head and it could be a vital one.

It’s strange for him because he seems happy at the club but knows he needs minutes. It is as much a major decision for himself as it is for Leeds as to whether he remains at Elland Road past the January transfer window.

I think Leeds understand they have a player who can impact a game at any moment and we have seen that when he has had his minutes he’s looked to make that difference.

It was a slight bit of misfortune that when he was finally going to get his first start he got injured, but that’s the luck of football sometimes.

He misses that game, Patrick Bamford breaks his scoring duck and that’s it.

It will be intriguing to see what happens because, with all due respect to Leeds, he hasn’t come from Arsenal to sit on the bench and replacing his quality next month would be a difficult task.

He gives Bamford competition for that starting spot which is vitally important. Everyone knows Patrick has a decisive role in the team and Bielsa even said that when he wasn’t scoring he was imperative to how they play.

But the more competition for places the better, and you just never know what might happen if he were to leave with injuries or suspensions.

Bristol City were obviously very interested in the summer and will no doubt be keeping an eye on the situation. It would be a massive kick in the teeth if he were to go out on loan to a Championship rival and start scoring because you’d be left thinking ‘what if?’

Bamford made the point of needing him for the rest of the season and it is credit to Nketiah that he has almost voiced his frustration in a very eloquent way when he’s been asked.

Eddie is a young player who wants to play but for him to be that type of character who is still part of the squad and group ethos is testament to the way he has approached being a Leeds United player.

One man we do know who has definitely departed is Jack Clarke and all you can say to him is good luck. He’s taken a decision and the plunge to join the club the size of Tottenham at his age and you hope it pays off for him.

I think it was Danny Mills who was very vocal in his thoughts of him staying, not signing anything and learning his trade with Leeds but it’s a decision that he made in good faith at the time.