With a lack of options available at Elland Road, Allardyce should unleash the promising youngster.
Leeds United look destined for relegation from the Premier League, with only a win against Tottenham Hotspur combined with Everton and Leicester City dropping points enough to see Sam Allardyce’s side avoid a return to the Championship.
What’s the latest on Leeds’ injury situation?
To make matters worse, the Yorkshire outfit could be without both Patrick Bamford and Rodrigo for the game at Elland Road on Sunday, with both struggling with injuries in the defeat against West Ham United last weekend.Allardyce confirmed after the game that Bamford had picked up a hamstring injury, while Rodrigo was clearly impacted by a heel problem, which could easily leave both absent for the final-day decider against Spurs.
The experienced Englishman refused to recognise club-record signing Georginio Rutter as a realistic option from the bench at the London Stadium which suggests that he is also unlikely to start against Ryan Mason’s side on Sunday.
Therefore, he should consider unleashing 19-year-old Sonny Perkins, who has performed superbly in the academy this season following a move from West Ham, as he could be a big player for the Elland Road outfit in the future and deserves his Premier League debut.
Should Leeds start Sonny Perkins?
Since joining the Whites last summer, the teenage striker has gone on to make 22 appearances for the U21s, in which he has contributed an impressive 12 goals and three assists.He also made his mark in the FA Cup earlier in the campaign, scoring his first goal for the club with a late equaliser against Cardiff City, so it is perhaps surprising that he hasn’t been given any opportunity to play in the top flight.It didn’t take long for Perkins to catch the eye of academy coach Michael Skubala, as he sang his praises back in August 2022, saying:
“Yeah he’s a goal machine, he loves scoring goals. He’s working on other parts of his game that he still needs to improve, but Sonny’s not had the best pre-season so he’s slowly becoming stronger and faster but two great finishes and that’s what Sonny’s all about.”
The chances of Leeds staying up on the final day are slim, to say the least, so Allardyce must surely consider starting a player that has done so well for the U21s this season and is clearly in a confident mood in front of goal.
Even if the Yorkshire outfit can’t pull off a miracle on Sunday, the benefit of giving Perkins Premier League minutes could be huge next season, as he could certainly play a big part in firing Leeds back up if he can live up to his potential at Elland Road.
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