Aapo Halme should be recalled for Leeds against Bolton

By Dom Toner

Leeds United travel to Bolton Wanderers on Saturday afternoon for a Championship fixture and would love to continue stretching the five-point lead from them in the automatic promotion spots to the chasing pack.

Manager Marcelo Bielsa is having to manage with a depleted squad right now and is somehow continuing to pull out results.

The Whites are short of genuine options at centre-back, but should turn to defender Aapo Halme against Bolton.

Halme, 20, has mainly been a fringe figure at Elland Road this campaign and is viewed as a promising talent for the future.

But the colossus centre-back has stepped in on three occasions this campaign and should get another chance to impress at the weekend.

 (Photo by Alex Dodd – CameraSport via Getty Images)

Halme hasn’t looked out of his depth when making the step up to senior level and should be able to cope nicely alongside Pontus Jansson away to strugglers Bolton.

The Finland Under-21 international is strong in the air and decent on the ball, while rotation is going to be key around a busy December and starting him on Saturday makes sense.

His recall would also allow versatile teammate Kalvin Phillips to swap his temporary centre-back role for a more preferred midfield role where he can dictate play from the centre of the park.