Leeds United not short of options, insists Marcelo Bielsa, as Rodrigo is ruled out

The Spanish international, a £27m arrival from Valencia in August, tested positive for Coronavirus earlier this week and is currently isolating for 10 days before returning to training.

The 29-year-old, who was not involved in Monday’s Premier League loss to Leicester City because he was isolating after close contact with a person who had been confirmed as a Covid-19 case, will also miss Spain’s forthcoming friendly in Holland and their Nations League games with Switzerland and Germany.

Rodrigo’s presence was missed in the 4-1 defeat to the Foxes, but Bielsa – someone who has proved remarkably proficient at finding solutions as opposed to stressing about the unavailability of players and things he cannot control in his time in Yorkshire – is not one to panic.

Bielsa, who will also be again without the injured duo of Diego Llorente and Kalvin Phillips for this weekend’s fixture in south-east London, said: “For every position on the pitch, we have various options.

“We have some options and in the number nine and 10 position, Rodrigo is an option, but not the only option.

“It is always good to have everybody available, but the design of the squad is that only we solve these problems.

“When a player is missing, we cannot say he is not missed because that would not be the case.

“But also because he is missing, it does not mean we cannot resolve his absence. For every game, two teams are missing four or five players (between them).”

Meanwhile, Bielsa has stressed that Rodrigo’s absence due to Covid-19 has not had any ramifications on training sessions at Thorp Arch, with no other players currently in isolation.

“He is training individually by himself and at the moment, he is the only case we have in the institution,” the Argentine added.

“Thanks to the firmness of the medical team, the rules were adhered to very strictly. This is something I have to thank the medical team for.”

Bielsa will assess winger Raphinha (ankle) today before deciding whether he will be involved in the squad for tomorrow’s appointment at Selhurst Park.

The game will be the first for United following the start of the second nationwide lockdown which is scheduled to end on December 2.

After lifting spirits of their supporters immeasurably back in the summer en route to promotion, Bielsa and his players are now assigned with helping to spread a bit more happiness to many people in these troubled times.

It is a role which the 65-year-old, in his capacity as head coach of one of the biggest clubs in the country where he is plying his trade, is conscious of.

He commented: “It is not my responsibility, it’s my job. If we can help to bring some entertainment or make people feel better, than that would of course be great.

“(But) I cannot give you a better answer because there are some people for who watching football may not be able to heal their woes.”

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