With his third red card of the campaign, Gaetano Berardi has seen his season end prematurely what with the automatic five-game ban upcoming.
It was a tackle to nothing that rightly earned the combative full-back his hat-trick red of this campaign, and United’s eighth red card in total. A two-footed, studs-up lunge at Sunderland youngster Callum McManaman saw the popular Swiss defender receive his marching orders in the 90th minute of what turned out to be a 1-1 draw.
His previous red cards were a straight red against Bristol City in October for a headbutt and an accumulative red for two bookable offences against Cardiff City in February – a game that also saw the end of Thomas Charistiansen’s brief reign at Elland Road.
With Leeds United only having five games left in their season, Monday’s impending confirmation of Berardi’s five-game will leave the Whites without another first team regular. It will also give Paul Heckingbottom something of a selection headache, but hopefully one with an easy cure.
Tom Pearce has already featured once for the Whites this season, starting against Sheffield Wednesday in the recent 2-1 loss at Elland Road. With probable first-choice replacement Laurens de Bock out injured, it would give the Whites an ideal opportunity to give the youngster a solid run in the side to end the campaign.
Pearce handled the step up to the first team against the Owls with some ease, not looking out-of-place as a 19-year-old amongst men. He also has a definite degree of attacking threat, as was shown in the recent Under-23 game against Cardiff City, a game where his mazy runs and ball control tortured his designated marker no end.
This attacking threat, and willingness to drive at opposition defenders, would allow Leeds United to be on the front foot, with Pearce likely combining down the left flank with the intuitive guile of Spaniard Pablo Hernandez.
There are other options that Paul Heckingbottom may wish to adopt, such as bringing in Tyler Denton for a recall to the first team or even promoting young Dutch defender Pascal Struijk, a recent signing from Ajax Amsterdam.
However, the smart money would definitely be on recalling Tom Pearce in place of the banned Gaetano Berardi, and in doing so giving the youngster the chance to gain a foothold and push a claim for a more permanent first team place.
