MOT View: Sky Sports pundits praise for Leeds ace could count for nothing after update
Leeds United goalkeeper Kiko Casilla is currently in the middle of his FA hearing over the racism charge hanging over his head.
The Athletic journalist Phil Hay has revealed that seven players including Eddie Nketiah and Kemar Roofe are set to speak of the Spaniard’s character in the hearing, but that he is still likely to be found guilty and therefore pick up a ban.
That is because Jonathan Leko has Charlton teammate Macauley Bonne as a witness from the alleged incident at the Valley. If found guilty, Casilla could be banned for six or more games in the Championship.
Despite the hearing hanging over his head, Casilla has kept his spot in the side in recent months – earning his first clean sheet in what seems like a lifetime in the 1-0 win against Bristol City on Saturday.
Michael Brown heaped praise on Casilla for his performance, claiming that it will have been a significant boost to the entire squad.
“It’s like anything, get a win and a result under your belt, it’s what the club needed, that’s what was important,” the Sky Sports pundit told Football Insider.
“Get a result, get a win and it all looks a lot healthier than it did the week before.
“I think any goalkeeper, any defender wants clean sheets, they thrive on it and it’s normal. In training, they don’t want to concede, it’s the competitive edge that we’re all used to.”
With a potential ban hanging over the shoulders of Casilla, Brown’s latest praise for the Spaniard and the Leeds defence could count for nothing in the long run.
Marcelo Bielsa has confirmed already that Illan Meslier will take his place should Casilla be banned, and although the French youngster has filled in superbly against Arsenal – the confidence in the former Real Madrid stopper could disappear if he excels.
Casilla only completed 16 passes against Bristol City [WhoScored], significantly fewer than he usually would, so even if the confidence in the Leeds defence looked to have raised, it might not have been because of the keeper.
In other Leeds United news, David Prutton has predicted the result in the upcoming clash against Reading