Luke Ayling will have to be patient with Leeds comeback

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Leeds United’s Luke Ayling is yet to play a game this season due to injury, but has stepped up his return by featuring for the Under-23s side.

The right-back got some minutes under his belt on Monday night, as he scored and assisted during a 45-minute cameo against Watford in a youth game.

Ayling, 28, is an attack-minded full-back that has become a real favourite during his time at Elland Road and has had to start the new campaign watching on from the sidelines.

He was previously a mainstay in Marcelo Bielsa’s XI last season, as he played 42 games across all competitions.

But it looks unlikely that he will enjoy the same when he gets back to full fitness and he may even need to bide his time waiting to impress.

Stuart Dallas has seized the opportunity at right-back extremely well and is arguably playing his best ever football in a Leeds shirt.

The 28-year-old is a versatile player that can slot into full-back or attacking wide roles, but he’s started all seven Championship games so far this season at right-back.

The Northern Ireland international has an infectious work-rate that has seen him become one of the star players and he is surely nailed on in that position for the foreseeable future while his form is like this.

Ayling has seen his teammate blossom in his spot in recent months and he has a sizeable task on his hands to overtake him again, but the competition for the squad is exactly what Bielsa will want.