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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan believes that Tottenham Hotspur loanee Jack Clarke will be “fuming” at his treatment at Elland Road this season, per Football Insider.

What’s he said?

Clarke has yet to play for Leeds this season after being sent back to the club following his summer move to Spurs.

He was left out of the club’s matchday squad for the victory over Brentford earlier this week, with clubs in the EFL allowed just five loanees in their squad. Ben White, Helder Costa, Eddie Nketiah, Illan Meslier and Jack Harrison were all included, with Clarke the odd one out.

And Whelan believes that Clarke will be fuming to have missed out once again.

He said: “There is a bit of an issue there for Leeds.

“Someone has to forfeit a place on the bench because of the rule, and Jack Clarke is the one missing out.

“This is the choice of Marcelo Bielsa, and it’s something he is going to have to carefully manage. Clarke is a big weapon to have on the bench and is a brilliant player to be able to call upon when you’re chasing a game or opening up defences on the counterattack.

“If it was up to me, I would forfeit the use of the young goalkeeper Illan Meslier. A back-up keeper is only on the bench for a freak injury. It rarely happens, and Leeds are betting off having a matchwinner like Clarke.

“He will be fuming that he’s not being picked, and you can’t blame him for that. I can’t see it changing soon, unless one of the loan players gets injured.”

Spot on

Spurs will likely be fuming too.

Mauricio Pochettino rarely loans players out with the expectation of them coming back to the club at the end of the season; the likes of Josh Onomah, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Shayon Harrison were all sent away in 2018/19 and will not be a part of the squad in 2019/20.

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Yet there had to have been an expectation that Clarke would have played, having spent last season at Elland Road, making his breakthrough and 26 appearances in all competitions.

If he is to stay at Leeds for the entirety of the campaign, Spurs and Clarke will be hoping that Bielsa remembers he exists.

If he doesn’t, his development is likely to stall.