MOT View: Casilla available for Leeds v Barnsley clash – Bielsa must do one thing
Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa doesn’t normally duck questions in his press conferences. He’s happily trotted out his full starting XI before.
However, when he was asked about Kiko Casilla on Tuesday he was uncharacteristically circumspect.
It’s a delicate issue. Casilla is available for selection after serving his eight-game ban after being found guilty of racially abusing Charlton player Jonathan Leko.
Casilla was the undisputed number one at Leeds before his ban and had played the full 90 minutes in every single Championship game.
However, we strongly believe that Casilla shouldn’t start or be on the bench tonight.
Racism in football was a big issue before the Casilla case but since then it’s exploded into the public consciousness through the Black Lives Matter movement.
Footballers are taking the knee ahead of every game.
Leeds have stayed quiet on the Casilla issue since the guilty verdict and that doesn’t sit well with us.
If Casilla was involved tonight we think it would sen out entirely the wrong message and create an unnecessary distraction.
The subject of Casilla’s future at the club is a question for another day and we have our opinions on that.
However, we will be very disappointed to see Casilla named in Bielsa’s matchday squad tonight and don’t believe that he will feature.
In other Leeds United news, ‘Staggered’ – Ally McCoist makes big Leeds prediction ahead of clash v Barnsley