Leeds United prepared for demands of Manchester United clash insists Marcelo Bielsa

The Argentine will return to Old Trafford, the scene of his famous 2012 Europa League win with Athletic Bilbao, for his first taste of the Whites’ rivalry with the Red Devils.

Bielsa says the significance and potential intensity of the game, a first league meeting of the two clubs since a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford in 2004, will not be lost on his squad.

“Leeds doesn’t ignore what it means to play such a game,” he said.

“We are prepared to adapt to the characteristics this game will demand.”

Ensuring that they get the required points to stay in the Premier League, having spent 16 years outside it, is Leeds United’s chief motivation this season for every game.

But the ramifications of this particular fixture, for the club’s supporters, can act as extra fuel for his players’ fire, says Bielsa.

“The motivation or repercussions of motivation are all linked to what you can get from the following result,” he said.

“When what happens on the pitch can have a big impact on the fans it then increases the responsibility and it multiplies the desire to impose yourself.”

Both teams go into the reunion on the back of victories, Leeds celebrating a 5-2 win over Newcastle United on Wednesday, 24 hours before Manchester United’s 3-2 victory over Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.

Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s men sit six points clear of the Whites, with a game in hand, but the Norwegian has come under heavy scrutiny thanks to a Champions League exit.

Bielsa has been managing for 30 years compared to the Manchester United boss’ nine and says it comes with the job for every member of the profession, but he has been impressed with Solskjaer’s handling of the pressure.

“We are all over observed, this is a situation where no coach is exempt,” he said.

“It increases or decreases depending on the success the team has. It’s part of the job.

“Of course Solskjaer has dealt very well with this aspect.”