Leeds United fans have been left both relatively confused ahead of their FA Cup game against in-form QPR at Loftus Road this Sunday – as manager Marcelo Bielsa has taken an unusual step of naming his Whites XI two days before the game even kicks off.
💬 | Marcelo discusses his side: “Shackleton will play right back. Halme will play because Jansson will train normally from Monday. Ayling will play too because he needs to. Phillips is injured, Cooper will play with U23 on Monday. Davis will play too because Douglas is injured.”
— Leeds United (@LUFC) January 4, 2019
💬 | “Adam will play as a number 4, Baker will play at 8. Tyler Roberts will play. I’m interested seeing Jack Harrison. as a number 9. We’ve been working with Aapo, Davis and Shackleton for many weeks. It’s a good moment for them to start this game.”
— Leeds United (@LUFC) January 4, 2019
Leeds United fans have been left wondering if there is a method to Marcelo’s madness – given the fact that Manchester City loanee Jack Harrison has been named as a number 9, despite the fact that he’s a winger.
This wouldn’t be big news if there were no strikers available, but the fact that Tyler Roberts – one of the clubs recognised strikers also makes the starting eleven suggests that Bielsa is using the FA Cup to try out something that could either be a masterstroke or a short-lived experiment.
One thing Leeds United fans can be sure of though is that Bielsa will be using the game to rest several players. With it becoming clear that a large portion of his squad are suffering from injuries at the minute, resting the likes of Kemar Roofe, Mateusz Klich and several others would give them a chance to recuperate and most importantly it would help the manager to avoid any more big names being added to an ever-growing injury list.
Despite the fact that he will be resting some key players though, the Leeds United manager will still be fielding a strong starting-eleven, stating that he respects the tradition and the competition of the FA Cup.
💬 | Marcelo on the FA Cup: “Before starting the season, I know what the calendar is. I never underestimate an official competition. It’s among the compromises of the team. The FA Cup has a history. Of course, I will respect this competition.”
— Leeds United (@LUFC) January 4, 2019
Seeing Jack Harrison play as a number 9 is something for Leeds United fans to look forward towards on Sunday – but whether it will be a success or a failure remains to be seen.
We’ll have more on the full starting-eleven later tonight.