Leeds goalkeeper Kiko Casilla must cut out the mistakes with Illan Meslier waiting in the wings

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Leeds United were beaten on their travels for the first time during the 2019/20 campaign on Saturday. Charlton Athletic defeated the Whites 1-0 to earn a valuable three points.

Macauley Bonne struck on 32 minutes and although they surrendered a large percentage of possession, the Addicks stood firm to deny Marcelo Bielsa’s team.

The result leaves the Argentinean manager with more questions than answers given that his misfiring forwards missed a glut of chances once again.

At the back, a problem is perhaps emerging for Leeds too. Kiko Casilla was instrumental in Leeds losing to Derby in last season’s play-off semi-final second leg and he was back to his erratic best at The Valley on Saturday.

The ex-Real Madrid stopper should have done far better than he did with the goal he conceded and he could face a fight for his place in the team with a few more below-par performances.

In the summer Leeds signed Illan Meslier on loan from Lorient and his performances for the club’s under-23 team have really caught the eye.

The 19-year-old will clearly hope to win himself a deal at Elland Road beyond this season. His best chance of doing that will be to break into the first-team and prove his worth.

Bielsa isn’t a massive fan of change. He has been known to find a winning formula and stick with it during his time at Leeds, so earning a shot won’t come easy for Meslier.

Casilla needed a good start to the current campaign after his catastrophic display against Derby back in May. Up until Saturday, he had done okay, although his clanger at The Valley represents a real setback.

Meslier is one for the future and too many more below-par performances from Casilla could throw him firmly into the spotlight as the club’s number one goalkeeper.