Leeds United fans should not fear Gaetano Berardi at centre-back

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Leeds United have taken an early advantage in their Championship play-off final with Derby County. They defeated the Rams 1-0 at Pride Park, with Kemar Roofe scoring the only goal of the game.

For Leeds fans, they may have feared the worst when they saw one of their key absentees from the game. Swedish international Pontus Jansson did not recover from an ankle injury in time and sat out the fixture.

It left Marcelo Bielsa having to call upon Swiss full-back Gaetano Berardi to fill at centre-back.

The 30-year-old, who has had a tough season with injuries, did so with aplomb and, with the second-leg just around the corner, may have to again at Elland Road.

But Leeds fans should not be worried.

Because whilst Berardi may be a full-back by trade, Bielsa clearly saw him in a different light.

The Argentine started the season with Berardi at the heart of defence, admittedly due to Jansson’s recovery from World Cup duty with Sweden.

However, along with Kalvin Phillips newfound versatility, Bielsa saw Berardi as a top centre-back option and was more than happy to go through the campaign with him as the third option in defence.

In Bielsa the Leeds fans trust. This will need to be true with Berardi, who could now play a key role in Leeds’ hunt for promotion.