Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa has revealed that goalkeeper Jamal Blackman lost 12kg in a bid for a starting spot before his season-ending injury.
The 25-year-old Chelsea loanee was playing second fiddle to Bailey Peacock-Farrell at Elland Road but had been pushing to replace the Northern Ireland international with some good form for the Under-23s.
Bielsa has now confirmed that Blackman was set to start against Bristol City this weekend before he fractured his leg over the international break, and revealed the extreme lengths he went to in his doomed bid for promotion.
Bielsa made the claim in the pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday’s clash, as quoted by BBC journalist Adam Pope on Twitter:
Blackman lost 12 kilos which indicated his professionalism says Bielsa. #lufc
— Adam Pope (@apopey) November 22, 2018
OPINION
It is such a massive shame that Blackman suffered this injury after making so much progress in his quest for a starting spot. The poor form of Peacock-Farrell and the impressive transformation of Blackman led many fans to call for his inclusion in the starting team, and that looked to be the case for this weekend. Blackman has now however been sent back to parent club Chelsea to undergo rehabilitation, and will not play any part for Leeds this season. The fact that he had lost 12 kilos in his bid for a starting spot is testament to his dedication, as pointed out by Bielsa, and makes this injury lay-off an even crueler blow for the 25-year-old. Hopefully he can return from this injury a stronger, better player, and get some regular game time at a top club just as he deserves. Unfortunately that will not be for Leeds, and both club and player must move on swiftly from this devastating development.