Leeds United host Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield Town at Elland Road and Illan Meslier will make his second Championship start for Marcelo Bielsa.
Huddersfield Town boss Danny Cowley has admitted that he has been impressed by the way Illan Meslier has equipped himself between the sticks at Saturday’s Championship opponents Leeds United, speaking to Examiner Live, refusing to identify him as a potential weak link.
With regular number one Kiko Casilla unavailable, a teenage Frenchman has found himself catapulted into the limelight with Leeds’ Premier League dream on the line.
But the untested summer signing has conceded just once in his first 180 minutes of action for the Yorkshire giants, shining against Arsenal in the FA Cup before keeping a clean sheet in last week’s 4-0 trouncing of Hull City.
Some had suggested that Huddersfield will look to target Meslier during tomorrow’s clash at Elland Road but Cowley has made it clear that he does not regard the Lorient loanee as someone to be ‘got at’.
“We watched him in the Arsenal game, and he did exceptionally well in that game,” said the former Lincoln City boss, who has put his faith in a young goalkeeper himself this season in Liverpool-owned Kamil Grabara.
“I know he got lots of plaudits for that game and I watched that game back – and I could see why. He is obviously a young goalkeeper but he has a lot of experience in France prior to this loan.
“You are not the Leeds United No2 keeper without being a good player and being ready to step up for the challenge. So, while we’re aware of his situation, we have respect for him as a player.”
Ouest France reported recently that Leeds have the option to make Meslier’s loan deal permanent for £5 million this summer and, if the youngster can scribe his name into Whites folklore with a long-awaited promotion, he could be around for the long haul.
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