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Jansson reveals what Bielsa told him when he asked about Clarke

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Image for Jansson reveals what Bielsa told him when he asked about Clarke

Leeds United defender Pontus Jansson has revealed that Marcelo Bielsa and the backroom staff told him to keep his focus on playing when he asked about the status of Jack Clarke following his medical incident versus Middlesbrough.

The young winger was worryingly stretchered off the substitutes’ bench after receiving attention from medics at the Riverside Stadium and has been confirmed to be out of training this week as the club continue to carry out tests to determine the cause of the issue.

However, Jansson has revealed that his cause for concern for the teenager was rebuffed by those on the sidelines during the game.

He told the Yorkshire Evening Post: “For the players who saw it it was worse than the players who didn’t see it. I walked over to Marcelo and his staff to ask what happened and they said ‘focus on the game’.

“I didn’t realise what really happened. All I heard was he was okay, he’s better now and they’re taking care of him. That was the only thing I wanted to hear. Then I wanted to focus on the game. When we came into the dressing room with the late equaliser and heard everything was good with him, it was nice to hear.”

Opinion

While Clarke’s issue on the sidelines was a worrying sight for all involved, this little anecdote shows plenty about how things are at Elland Road. Firstly there was great concern from Jansson for his teammate, demonstrated by his asking for an update while Bielsa demonstrated his professionalism as a manager to keep his player focused on events on, rather than off, the pitch. Thankfully Clarke seems to be alright now and while missing him for the midweek clash against Swansea City is a blow, his health comes first and availability second in this scenario. The camaraderie among this squad seems strong and you know that the players who do go out there will be looking to pick up a win for those missing from the line up. Hopefully this was a one off and not something more serious, for Clarke has a seriously bright future ahead of him and to have health problems plague his career would be devastating for the player and fans. 

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