Stoke City v Leeds United: Bailey Peacock-Farrell to start Potters clash as new 'keeper recruit Kiko Casilla begins training with Whites

BAILEY PEACOCK-FARRELL will keep his place in goal for Leeds United's Championship clash at Stoke City on Saturday for which Whites head coach Marcelo Bielsa has already named an unchanged side despite the signing of goalkeeper Kiko Casilla.
STARTING AT STOKE: Bailey Peacock-Farrell.STARTING AT STOKE: Bailey Peacock-Farrell.
STARTING AT STOKE: Bailey Peacock-Farrell.

Leeds bolstered their options in the goalkeeping department by announcing the capture of Casilla from Real Madrid on Thursday morning with the 32-year-old signing a four-and-a-half year contract.

Casilla trained with Leeds for the first time on Thursday but Peacock-Farrell will keep his place in between the sticks for Saturday's clash at the Potters with Bielsa insisting the Spaniard will have to work his way into the side.

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"Today has been his first training session," said Bielsa of Casilla.

"What I can say is that he won't play against Stoke, even if he is fit he won't play against Stoke and we will see the evolution in the next few days and take a point of view.

"We have prepared for the game taking into account their starting XI and our XI will be the following - Peacock-Farrell, Cooper, Ayling, Jansson, Alioski, Forshaw, Klich, Clarke, Harrison, Hernandez and Roofe."

Asked how Casilla would be integrated into the side, Bielsa said: "I will do the same thing for each position for each player.

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"The role of the players is to show they are better than the others.

"The role of a player is to be compared with others, the profession of a player is to be compared with others because we compare them to see who will be the starter.

"It's just something that is in the profession."

Bielsa also provided updates on injured quartet Gaetano Berardi, Barry Douglas, Stuart Dallas and Patrick Bamford with the former trio all nearing a return and set to be put through their paces for United's under-23s.

"Berardi will play next Monday and if everything goes well he will be in the group for the next game," said Bielsa.

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"Dallas started the training sessions with the group today and Douglas will do the same tomorrow, they won't play next Monday but they will play the next under 23s games and if everything goes well they will be in the team.

"It will be the same for Bamford but maybe he will need a bit more time so these three players will be available in the next ten days and also Kalvin Phillips will come back as he has been suspended for three games and we solved the injury of Jamal Blackman with the signing of Casilla."

Bielsa also added the Izzy Brown would need to gain more game time with United's under-23s before returning from a year lay-off with an ACL injury.