19-year-old Jamie Shackleton will play at right-back in Saturday’s Championship game against QPR.
The news was confirmed by manager Marcelo Bielsa after an injury to Stuart Dallas in the 1-0 win against Sheffield United on Saturday.
Marcelo Bielsa was talking in the pre-match press conference ahead of the Championship game with QPR at Elland Road on Saturday afternoon.
Bielsa speaking now. On injuries: "I'm sure I've done something wrong because God is punishing me!" Jamie Shackleton will replace Stuart Dallas at right-back, he says. "This is thanks to the work the academy did for the first team." #lufc
— Phil Hay (@PhilHay_) December 6, 2018
OPINION
This is the right move with Leeds’ squad down to bare bones at the back. The close link between the first-team and the Under-23s, and Carlos Corberan and Marcelo Bielsa, has already paid dividends this season. And Bielsa paid tribute to the academy as he confirmed that Shackleton would replace Cooper on Saturday. We love Bielsa’s press conferences. He’s so straightforward and matter-of-fact with questions like this and he saves his real skills and mystery for the pitch. Shackleton has only started one league game this season, the 2-2 draw with Swansea back at the start of the season, and has been limited to short cameo roles since. With Dallas out for a while this gives him the chance to cement his credentials as a first-team player. With Liam Cooper out until the end of January/beginning of February, the Leeds defence is going to be stretched and it can’t afford any more injuries or more unfamiliar names are going to have to be drafted up from the talented Under-23s.