Mateusz Klich's Leeds United likes, dislikes and thoughts on Stoke City

Klich and his team-mates are closing in on the finale of their 2019/20 Championship season, a campaign that has more than an air of all or nothing about it, but so far, so good – Leeds United sit top of the table going into tonight’s game against Stoke City.

Brentford’s midweek win put them three points behind the Whites but 10 points from the final five fixtures will secure Premier League football and end Leeds’ 16-year absence from the top flight.

The crying shame, for a club and a fanbase that has craved a return to the top table ever since they fell from grace in 2004 is that, if this team does make history, no one will be there to see it.

Leeds maintained throughout football’s three-month suspension that they wanted to complete the season on the pitch and not on a calculator and Klich was as on-message as any Elland Road representatitve during that period.

He still is, but he can’t wait for the behind-closed-doors element of the new normal, something he’s clearly having to grin and bear, to become history.

“It’s bad and I hope next season we can start with at least some of the fans because in Poland right now it’s 25 per cent stadium capacity allowed in the stands, so I think it is going to be possible,” he said.

“But I hope this is the last five games without fans in the stands because it’s not really football, [although] obviously we have to finish the league.”

The urgency he feels to complete the season is two-fold. The sooner Leeds can play these games and, preferably, win them, the sooner the socially distanced celebrations can begin.

Marcelo Bielsa’s men set out on their journey almost a full year ago, with a 3-1 win at Bristol City and no idea whatsoever that they would still be playing for promotion in July 2020 and travelling to an empty Ewood Park, faces adorned with masks, for another 3-1 victory.

The intensive nature of the Championship fixture schedule since the restart in June has meant Leeds’ head coach has had to scale back the intensity of his training sessions, but some things have remained the same.

Kalvin Phillips last week offered the reassuring update that Gjanni Alioski still ‘goes nuts’ in the changing room and Klich, who has started 94 consecutive Championship games, still enjoys playing lots of football, all the time.

“[The routine] changes a little bit, we can have a nap afternoon,” he laughed.

“But not really, just like everyone in the dressing room, we just want to play games and we want to finish the season as soon as possible.

“That’s why we just can’t wait, if it’s Thursday, Wednesday, Tuesday, Saturday whatever, we just want to play the next game.”

The next game, like all games when you’re the team everyone is desperate to knock off the perch, is a tough one.

Stoke City need the points just as badly as Leeds if they want to continue to move away from the relegation zone.

Martin O’Neill has taken them out of the bottom three and Klich, who has voiced his distaste for teams who sit deep and defend for their lives, expects not only a difficult 90 minutes but an opposition who show some desire to attack.

“Stoke need to win as well and I think they will try and play because they have got good players that can play good football,” he said.

“Obviously results are not great for them at the moment although on Saturday they won 4-0. They want to stay in the league so they are going to fight and they are going to be a tough game.

“They have got good players. There’s no easy games in this league and this is going to be another battle.”

Klich’s name on the team sheet has become a given for Leeds United during Bielsa’s tenure and it would be the shock of the season were the box-to-box midfielder to miss out this evening, but the Argentine has not been so lucky with a consistent starter in every other position.

The left-back spot was filled by a number of players, largely owing to injuries, before Stuart Dallas made it his new home, only for injury to strike.

The Northern Irishman is expected to be fit to face Stoke but if not, and Douglas starts, there will still be a smile on Klich’s face.

“This is very important and this is what Marcelo is saying in all of the training sessions, that we have got players who don’t play but they are ready to play and every time they are going in they play good and they play the same level, like players who play every game and Barry [Douglas] does that all the time,” he said.

“He didn’t play for a long time and then he played against Arsenal in the [FA] cup and he was one of the best players on the pitch.

“Unfortunately he has had some issues with injuries but every time he plays he plays good and Gjanni [Alioski] is always ready, Berra [Gaetano Berardi] is always ready.

“I am very happy because the team has a great spirit and everyone is really ready to play and to help and that’s the way it should be.”