Leeds United: Italian back to face the Clarets at Turf Moor

MARCO SILVESTRI is set to resume in goal for Leeds United at Turf Moor on Saturday.
Leeds United's 
Marco SilvestriLeeds United's 
Marco Silvestri
Leeds United's Marco Silvestri

He will be assigned with the job of derailing Burnley’s Championship title challenge after serving a one-man ban.

Leeds head coach Steve Evans was delighted with young goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell’s performacne against QPR and plans to give him another chance before the end of this season but says that Silvestri is established firmly as first-choice goalkeeper.

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Italian Silvestri was banned from the midweek game against QPR after his red card in last weekend’s 2-1 defeat to Rotherham United.

The suspension ended his ever-present league record this season and gave Peacock-Farrell, 19, the chance to start at Elland Road. A late penalty saw Rangers grab a 1-1 draw.

Asked if he would give Peacock-Farrell another outing in the near future, Evans said: “Most certainly we will.

“We’ve got a top goalkeeper in Marco and we know that. Bailey’s a goalkeeper who’ll play for Leeds in the future and we’ll pick another game or two as we go forward but it’s quite clear here that Marco Silvestri is our number one.”

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Peacock-Farrell was untroubled by a lacklustre QPR side until the 87th minute when Giuseppe Bellusci’s foul on striker Sebastian Polter gifted QPR a penalty. Substitute Tjaronn Chery converted from the spot.

Evans said: “Bailey didn’t have a lot to do and that’s a good sign because it shows how far we’ve dominated the game.

“But his distribution was good and I think what will stick in my mind is the ovation the Kop gave him at the start of the game and the cheer he got when he first caught the ball. That’s terrific to see.

“He’s a young man who’ll play a lot more games. He’s come in, he’s done what was expected of him and what I thought he would do.”

Experienced second-choice Ross Turnbull, who broke an ankle in October, remains on the sidelines after undergoing a second operation recently and will not be fit until the start of next season.