Leeds United will schedule a competitive internal match during the forthcoming international break, it has been confirmed.
Marcelo Bielsa revealed at his Thursday media conference, as quoted by the official Leeds Twitter account, that first teamers not representing their countries will play against the Under-23s.
Outlining his plans for the international break, Bielsa explained that the United staff will keep the players fine-tuned in training and the match “in the middle of next week we’ll… try to make it like an official game”.
? | Marcelo on his plans for the international break: "We still have the same obligations, we have players who will stay at the club, and we will take care of them. In the middle of next week, we'll play a game against the U23s, and try to make it like an official game."
— Leeds United (@LUFC) November 8, 2018
OPINION
Not for Bielsa a 10-day break during which coaches and backroom staff can have an extended spell off, and the first-team players can put their feet up and go through the motions in training. The demanding Argentine is keen to keep the Leeds key men not on international duty fine-tuned, super-fit and ready to hit the ground running for the 24 November home league clash against Bristol City. Never afraid to do the unorthodox or unusual, Bielsa will be pushing the likes of Samuel Saiz, Pablo Hernandez, Barry Douglas and Kemar Roofe as hard as ever. Should any of them suffer an injury in a hard-fought practice game at Thorp Arch, Bielsa’s methods are likely to be the subject of criticism. Senior men who are regulars for their countries – Pontus Jansson, Ezgjan Alioski, Mateusz Klich, Stuart Dallas and Bailey Peacock-Farrell – might be glad they have the easier task of representing their national teams rather than being run into the ground by Bielsa.