Lee Grant sends message to David Kasumu over his Huddersfield Town future | OneFootball

David Kasumu is yet to start a league game for the Terriers this season

Huddersfield Town manager Lee Grant insists that David Kasumu is in his plans for the foreseeable future, despite the 25-year-old not starting a league game through the first month of the season.

This is per a report from the Yorkshire Post, which revealed that the new Terriers boss was able to have a team meeting with the group of players who he knew were going to be with the club until January at least, after the transfer window slammed shut on Monday.

Kasumu, despite being a bit-part player through the opening month, was part of that meeting after he remained at Huddersfield post-deadline.

And Grant has issued a message towards Kasumu and the rest of his squad players, laying out what he wants from them between now and the next window.

Lee Grant's message to David Kasumu

The Yorkshire Post reported that, according to Huddersfield boss Lee Grant: "His [Kasumu's] job, the same as everybody else, is to put pressure on everyone around you.

"Put pressure on Ryan [Ledson], Herbie [Kane] and the guys currently in his position but not in the squad due to availability or injury.

"Put pressure on those guys so they have to fight to be ahead of you when they get fit. That's the law of the jungle."

The former, Ryan Ledson, was brought to the club over the summer after his Preston North End contract expired - he has been made Huddersfield captain. Additionally, deep-lying midfielder Marcus McGuane was also signed from the Championship, after the Terriers brought him in from Bristol City, albeit with the 26-year-old featuring less than Kasumu has due to a groin injury.

With more competition in his position, Kasumu, who has played at least 30 games in each of the last three domestic campaigns for Huddersfield since he arrived from MK Dons, has been pushed further down the pecking order, and many will have felt that his time at the Accu Stadium would be coming to a close.

However, this doesn't seem to be the case.

Describing the team meeting, Grant said: "Everyone there in that room with their eyes facing forward was there because we want them there and are good enough to be there and have a part to play in the story of what we do between now and the next window.

"David is a part of that and has shown he's ready, willing and capable, which is important for me. Performances over the course of the cup competitions have grown."

So far this season, Kasumu has featured just twice off the bench in League One, but has played every minute in their ongoing EFL Trophy and EFL Cup campaigns.

David Kasumu faces a tough test to usurp those ahead of him in the Huddersfield Town pecking order

Whilst performances in the EFL Cup, especially, have been admirable, with Huddersfield knocking out both Leicester City and Sunderland on penalties in the opening two rounds, it will be difficult for Kasumu to fully insert himself into the fold regularly in league action.

The Terriers have won four of their six games so far in League One, keeping clean sheets in each of their victories, and Kane and Ledson have started all six.

With Ledson's recent experience in the Championship and Kane's record of lining out for multiple play-off finishing sides in the third tier, it will take a lot to knock them out of the starting eleven in league action.

Evidently, strength in depth and strong competition across the board are what Grant wants at Huddersfield.

He'll be hoping that Kasumu can respond positively to his message and up his game over the coming weeks so he can easily slot into the deep-lying midfield spots and, most importantly, keep the quality in the side from those he'd be replacing.