Leeds United coach Marcelo Bielsa enjoying making use of the strength of his substitutes bench

Some managers are opposed to the idea of teams being allowed to bring on five substitutes from a nine-man bench, as opposed to three from seven before the coronavirus brought the season to a temporary halt.

The measure was introduced to help players cope with the physical demands of playing so many games in a short space of time after a couple of months when they were only allowed to train on their own.

But it has also added to Bielsa's tactical armoury, and he has used it well. Spanish midfielder Pablo Hernandez has not started a game since the resumption yet he has still been a big influence, never more so than when he scored an 89th-minute winner at former club Swansea City on Sunday. Ezgjan Alioski has also been important, only starting one match since lockdown – at Blackburn Rovers –but coming off the bench in all the others.

When asked if he was enjoying his extra options, Bielsa replied: “It's true because before we start a match we know we have players on the bench that are able to play in the XI.

“It's true as well that when we have to put one of those players on, the team improves. This is an extra strength for the team that is very important for us.”

Even without under-23 football, Bielsa says he has players pushing hard to be involved in what has remained a typically settled starting XI, although he will be without the injured Kalvin Phillips for Thursday's game at home to Barnsley with a knee injury which may end his season.

“In these circumstances we are in now after the covid situation we are working with 35 players and all of them play in training in very hard sessions where they have a lot of chances to show themselves.

“During this period they train a lot in football sessions, even if they aren't official matches, and every player is fit and in good physical condition.

“We have seen when Alioski, Pablo, Tyler (Roberts) and (Barry) Douglas have had to play they have all adapted quickly.”

Thursday's game is important for both sides, with Barnsley needing wins to escape the Championship relegation zone. Bielsa is unsure how that will shape their approach.

“When we played them last time they attacked us,” said Bielsa.

“But sometimes when teams are forced to win they prefer to force a mistake from their opponent. They can use both options. But an attacking approach is probably is the more logical one.”

Both sides have two more matches to play after the derby, on Sunday and Wednesday – Leeds away to Derby County and at home to Charlton Athletic, Barnsley at Nottingham Forest before hosting Brentford.

Editor’s note: first and foremost - and rarely have I written down these words with more sincerity - I hope this finds you well.

Almost certainly you are here because you value the quality and the integrity of the journalism produced by The Yorkshire Post’s journalists - almost all of which live alongside you in Yorkshire, spending the wages they earn with Yorkshire businesses - who last year took this title to the industry watchdog’s Most Trusted Newspaper in Britain accolade.

And that is why I must make an urgent request of you: as advertising revenue declines, your support becomes evermore crucial to the maintenance of the journalistic standards expected of The Yorkshire Post. If you can, safely, please buy a paper or take up a subscription. We want to continue to make you proud of Yorkshire’s National Newspaper but we are going to need your help.

Postal subscription copies can be ordered by calling 0330 4030066 or by emailing [email protected]. Vouchers, to be exchanged at retail sales outlets - our newsagents need you, too - can be subscribed to by contacting subscriptions on 0330 1235950 or by visiting www.localsubsplus.co.uk where you should select The Yorkshire Post from the list of titles available.

If you want to help right now, download our tablet app from the App / Play Stores. Every contribution you make helps to provide this county with the best regional journalism in the country.

Sincerely. Thank you.

James Mitchinson

Editor