Adam Forshaw is still on the comeback trail for Leeds United, with the midfielder’s last outing coming in the 1-0 defeat to Charlton Athletic back in September.

Leeds have battled on without the 28-year-old since then, consolidating their place in the Championship promotion race despite a run of two wins in the last nine league games.

Whilst results on the whole have been good, and Leeds sitting second after 30 games is hugely positive, there’s no denying that the ongoing wait for Forshaw to return is irritating the fanbase.

And, a Football Insider report has touched on Leeds and Marcelo Bielsa’s thinking with the 28-year-old, with the club opting to not recruit an alternative midfielder in January, seemingly with a show of faith that Forshaw will regain full fitness between now and the end of the season to play a role in the push for promotion.

It’s a stance you can understand, but also one that carries an element of risk.

Here, we take a look at the pros and cons of that stance…

Pro: Boosts Forshaw’s morale

A spell out of the side injured is difficult for any professional football, and Forshaw’s record at Leeds is as frustrating as it comes when you look at time on the treatment table.

He missed the start of the 2018/19 campaign after picking up a problem just a week before the opening game against Stoke City, then after starting this season in Bielsa’s midfield, he’s been out with a niggling hip injury.

Whilst Forshaw will hit the challenge head-on, it will be disappointing for him to have missed such a lengthy period.

Yet, with Leeds not signing a midfielder to replace him, it is a sign of how highly-rated he is within the squad at Elland Road and how he still has a huge part to play.

Con: There’s no sign of a comeback yet

Initially, Bielsa told the press that Forshaw’s absence would only be short, but now we are at the start of February and he hasn’t featured since September.

That’s a lengthy spell of time out of the team, and Bielsa has so far been unable to offer an indication of when the midfielder will be able to return.

Leeds do look short in central midfield and it isn’t clear when Forshaw will be back to ease the pressure on the likes of Kalvin Phillips and Mateusz Klich.

Pro: Continuity within the playing squad

Bielsa is a real perfectionist and any new signing would need time to get up to speed with how Leeds play.

Jean-Kevin Augustin found that out the hard way in the defeat to Wigan Athletic on Saturday – missing out completely – and had another midfielder come into the squad, who is to say that he would’ve come straight into the side.

By the time he had settled and found his feet at Leeds, Forshaw might’ve been back.

Forshaw has witnessed the whole Bielsa-reign and will likely slot seamlessly back into the fold.

Con: Risking Forshaw’s fitness again

Forshaw is a fantastic midfielder at this level of football, which makes his injury spells in Leeds that little bit more frustrating.

After getting back into the squad after missing the start of last season, Forshaw couldn’t finish the campaign. He picked up an injury in the play-off semi-final first-leg with Derby County, resulting in him missing the second.

Of course, he got himself fit to start the current campaign, but injury hit and dealt him another spell on the sidelines.

Should he come back, there’s always the risk of him picking up another problem, which has been the nature of his spell at Elland Road.

Combatting that risk with another body might’ve been sensible.