Leeds United and Middlesbrough have emerged as rivals for promotion this season.
The Leeds United manager, Marcelo Bielsa, has revealed he has had advice from his Middlesbrough counterpart, Tony Pulis, about the Championship’s hectic Christmas schedule.
Leeds and Middlesbrough have emerged as rivals for promotion this season, which is Bielsa’s first in both the league and country.
Pulis, on the other hand, has managed various sides through festive periods.
And speaking via the Yorkshire Evening Post on Thursday, Bielsa admitted that he could look to rotate his team in the coming weeks.
“The head coach of Middlesbrough, Tony Pulis, who is a man with a lot of experience, told me that was December was a crucial month for the Championship. So we are trying to adapt to find good solutions for this moment,” he said.
Whether that involves a debut for Izzy Brown, who is stepping up his recovery after 11 months sidelined, remains to be seen.
But, according to Bielsa, strikers Patrick Bamford and Tyler Roberts could both be involved at Bolton Wanderers this weekend.
Discussing Brown’s chances, the Argentine replied via Leeds Live: “I don’t think he’s ready for the bench. Every time he plays (for the Leeds’ Under-23s) he makes positive steps to being inside the (senior) group.
“He has a great weight, he is well, he is fit. He absorbs the volume of a game without any problems. He needs to work on his intensity and strength, but that’s normal because of how little he’s played.
“The sudden movements he can make, when he sprints, when he stops, the switch of direction, the short sprints, these are the elements that are needed for a player with a technique like Izzy Brown. You need to have a certain level of performance to impose your technical skills. He’s working on these small details.”
Despite their injury problems, Leeds have only used 24 players in the Championship this season.
Should Bamford/Roberts start for Leeds against Bolton?
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