Leeds United defender Diego Llorente in condition to play as Marcelo Bielsa outlines ideal pathway back

SPANISH international defender Diego Llorente has recovered from a groin injury though Marcelo Bielsa now wants the centre-back to bag game time for Leeds United's under-23s.
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Llorente has yet to feature for Leeds after picking up a groin injury during the October international break and then suffering a setback in his bid to work his way towards making his first appearance for the Whites.

The defender has so far only been seen as an unused substitute in the 1-1 draw at home to Manchester City on December 3 after which the centre-back left for international duty with Spain and later became injured.

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However, Bielsa says the 27-year-old is now back "healthy" ahead of Saturday's Premier League clash at Chelsea although United's head coach would ideally like Llorente to bag minutes for United's under-23s before playing for the first team.

RECOVERED: Leeds United's Spanish international centre-back Diego Llorente. Photo by Octavio Passos/Getty Images.RECOVERED: Leeds United's Spanish international centre-back Diego Llorente. Photo by Octavio Passos/Getty Images.
RECOVERED: Leeds United's Spanish international centre-back Diego Llorente. Photo by Octavio Passos/Getty Images.

The same comments apply to Pablo Hernandez (muscle), Jamie Shackleton (squad) and long term absentee Adam Forshaw (hip) who are all still out.

Bielsa said at his pre-Chelsea press conference: "In relation to Llorente he is healthy, he is in conditions to play and the ideal thing would be for him to play with the under 23s before he plays with the first team because it has been a while since he has played now but we will see.

"We hope we don't have a necessary situation which means that we have to accelerate his process into the team."

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Asked about Hernandez, Shackleton and Forshaw, Bielsa said: "When a player goes so long without playing, one of the ways to help his recovery is to propose an activity similar to games in the Premier League - knowing that you can manage his game time and at the levels a little bit lower.

"This is the ideal process especially when players have repeat muscular injuries which is the case of Pablo, Shackleton and Llorente.

"But this is also conditioned to the needs of the team.

"If the player is healthy and the necessity of the team requires him you may have to call on a player who is healthy but maybe he is not ready sportingly.

"But if you can do it in a more progressive manner it is better because the player's performance will progressively improve whilst he is playing and this way you can verify whether he is completely healed as he will be able to manage the efforts but sometimes you can do it this way and sometimes you can't but always after the player is healthy."

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Pressed specifically on the latest situation with Forshaw, Bielsa said: "He has highs and lows. But up until this point he hasn't been able to do any football practices."

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