Injuries make Bielsa’s task of tightening Leeds up after WBA thrashing even tougher

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Leeds United went into the international break on the back of a 4-1 thrashing at the hands of promotion rivals West Brom, leaving Marcelo Bielsa with plenty of food for thought.

There are already concerns that the Whites do not have enough defensive strength in depth to last the pace in the Championship title race, and the Argentine is tasked with ensuring that there is never a repeat of that thumping as well as boosting the confidence of a backline which was torn apart last time out.

That task is not an easy one and it has been made all the more difficult as Leeds’ injury crisis has deepened in the time since their last match; Jamal Blackman, Bailey Peacock-Farrell and Pontus Jansson are all set to miss the visit of Bristol City on Saturday.

Bielsa has confirmed that Blackman would have come in for Peacock-Farrell had he not suffered a broken leg in an Under 23s match this week and the subsequent injury the Northern Irishman has sustained has pushed Bielsa’s goalkeeping options – or lack thereof – into crisis territory.

Bielsa will need all his powers of innovation and motivation to deploy a defence which can tighten up despite being hit by injuries once more and provide the springboard for Leeds to motor forward once more.

It’s not an easy task but it’s imperative he gets it right if his side are to get back on track.