Burnley v Leeds United - Marcelo Bielsa press conference on Rodrigo's talent, Adam Forshaw condition and team news

Marcelo Bielsa is holding his pre-match press conference this morning ahead of Sunday's Premier League clash at Burnley - and you can follow all the latest here.
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Leeds will be looking to record their first victory of the new season, following on from last weekend's 2-2 draw at home to Everton as fans finally returned to the Elland Road stands in full.

Burnley, under boss Sean Dyche, have lost their first two games as a 2-1 defeat at home to Brighton was followed by a 3-0 reverse at Liverpool.

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Bielsa will be speaking to the press at 11am and all of the latest news will follow here after the press conference's conclusion.

THIRD MEETING: Between Burnley boss Sean Dyche, left, and Leeds United head coach Marcelo Bielsa, right. Graphic by Graeme Bandeira.THIRD MEETING: Between Burnley boss Sean Dyche, left, and Leeds United head coach Marcelo Bielsa, right. Graphic by Graeme Bandeira.
THIRD MEETING: Between Burnley boss Sean Dyche, left, and Leeds United head coach Marcelo Bielsa, right. Graphic by Graeme Bandeira.

On Bamford' s England call - what is your reaction and how proud are you?

"I am happy because he has made a lot of effort to be called up and finally he has managed to achieve it. From my point of view, he deserves it and I hope this is the start of his evolution as a player as an international."

What has been his biggest improvement whilst working with you?

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"I think the main characteristics that he has have always been the same ones and the fact that he has increased his effectiveness has had a good consequence on the valuation of his game. There are centre forwards who have few chances at goal and there are fowards who have plenty of chances. Bamford usually has chances during the games and for him to improve his range of efficiency has been an important step."

Is Diego Llorente fit enough for the weekend to play 90 minutes?

"We think so."

Any other team news?

"No at the moment no."

With Ronaldo possibly coming to City, is there a concern that clubs may be stockpiling players to the detriment of everybody else?

"Good players always elevate the level of the competition and the power of some institutions is something that moves between two big lines. They are powerful due to what they generate and those who generate less but are also powerful. They deal within a certain set of rules so that scenario is absolutely legitimate. In the measure that the rules are recognised as legitimate."

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Do Leeds need to rely so much on Bamford and is that a concern?

"All teams depend on their players and especially those who shine. Throughout the season, the ones that shine are not always the same players and the decisive power that Bamford had in the last 20 minutes (of the game against Crewe), we can't forget how the previous 70 minutes went, how the opposition got tired when he came on after 70 minutes. The fundamental difference, in the last ten minutes of the game Leeds scored three goals but in the first 80 minutes we created 15 chances and in this case Bamford did not score but he had a decisive participation. So the conclusion is that the team grew with Bamford coming on especially due to the efficiency that was produced in those minutes. But Phillips had had a prior chance from a set piece as easy as the one that he scored, Rodrigo had some clear chances at goal too and Tyler had clear chances and the rest of the team shared around chances also. So to summarise, Bamford was very important but what the rest of the team facilitated, Bamford when he came on, what they did was also important."

Will Rodrigo's man of the match display at Burnley last season be considered in your team selection this weekend?

"It is very difficult to link the game with what happened in May. Rodrigo is a player that doesn't need references that were so far away to be considered."

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Are you liking what you are seeing from Firpo and Harrison partnership?

"Progressively it gets better. But the last game can't be a reference that had a lot of weight even if what they did was good."

On Burnley

"It's a very difficult to team to face because they have a very clear and stabilised manner in which they play and normally to overcome them is difficult."

How is Robin Koch?

"He is evolving but he is not completely healthy just yet."

On transfers being so highly valued and worshiped by fans now, is that media driven and do clubs play a part in it?

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"If transfers have become what you just say they are then I don't feel in a position to make evaluation or comment. A transfer of a player normally indicates that the team that gets the signing is going to elevate their level and this increases the hopes of the fans. Apart from that is one of the aspects of information that has a lot of repercussion where you can say a lot of things even if they are not true and that is a scenario which very attractive for a media conference."

On Klaesson settling in

"It is far too quick to have an opinion. It is a process of adaptation that he is going through that he is going through in a very professional manner and with our goalkeeping coach Marcos Abad he is taking on board this process in a very efficient manner."

How is Forshaw?

"He has reacted positively. He played 60 minutes and he did it in a very intense manner and the recovery in the days after the game has been satisfactory. Our hope and desire is that as time goes on we won't need to worry about how he deals with the loads and consider him fully healthy."

Assessment of Rodrigo so far at the club - is it more about fitness than skills?

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"Rodrigo is a player with all the faculties to triumph at Leeds and in English football, his football and technical resources can't be better, his physical responses are one of the best in the team, he is a very serious professional, very dedicated and very conscious. In a parallel way he has had an important influence on the team, less than what we expected and when it is about a player like Rodrigo that doesn't have aspects to correct, that is to say he trains a lot, he has high physical resources, he has technical resources above the average and he is having continuity so it's about me putting him into the team and him having a higher repercussion than he is currently having. I sincerely exempt him from any responsibility because in every game and every training session and in his private life he is impeccable. He is a player that leaves it all and he fights especially to triumph. He is not a player that is just happy with not having a protagonism in the team. To summarise all of that, any manager, with all this disposition and willingness that he has would want him to try and be in the team."

Do you accept credit in helping Bamford to England?

"If I thought I had merit in that I would tell you. But sincerely I don't see everything from the inside. But it is what he has done that has made him evolve and resulted in him being called up."

What technical qualities has Raphinha got that has made him such a success.

"He is a very potent player, and it is very difficult to triumph in the Premier League if you don't have this potency to mix explosiveness and speed, repetitions, quick physical responses and on top of that he sustains the efforts without any problems. But players with those conditions there are many in the Premier League but what there are very few players of is players with the talent that he has and the speed to resolve those situations and apart from that being able to imagine responses and to be able to actually do them also. If I were with my friends, they would say so many words just to say that he plays well."

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