Any more strings to Ben White’s bow and and he may need to invest in a harp, but it sounds like he may need to make room ahead of Saturday.
Marcelo Bielsa and his Leeds United staff have seen enough of the 22-year-old in training and matches to believe he is ready to play in midfield at Huddersfield Town.
Kalvin Phillips sits out the West Yorkshire derby through suspension and leaves a gaping hole at the heart of the team which is not easily filled.
Adam Forshaw, still injured, would have been the natural fit, but Jamie Shackleton, also injured, and Alfie McCalmont, too inexperienced, have been overlooked.
White played as the team’s half-back for the final 10 minutes of Saturday’s Middlesbrough thrashing, but has shown enough in training this week to convince Bielsa.
“From a long period, so far, we are working with White in this position,” he said.
“He is going to substitute him. Of course, it’s a new position for him. He has the skills to play there, but he’s not used to playing there.
“Always is something we don’t know what is going to happen.”
Playing more than one position has become the norm for Bielsa’s squad at Elland Road. The vast majority of his players have featured in more than one role under him.
In the modern game Bielsa does not envisage many, if any, problems for White in taking on a new role.
Stuart Dallas, Mr Versatile himself, Ezgjan Alioski and Jack Harrison were cited by Bielsa as examples of this approach.
“The player has one principal function in the team and in general they play in one sector of the pitch, but it’s very common one player that plays in the centre has to move to the sides in the play and one player in front,” he said.
“Players in the centre also have to go forward into midfield. One player in midfield has to drop in his position.
“You have players in the back, midfield and in front. After you have players in the centre or on the sides.
“You have players who defend more and there are players who attack more, but all of them have to defend and attack.
“All of them drop and go forward. All of them narrow or go to the sides. [In] current football the demand of the players has different variety in his place.
“Dallas, [is] one example: he play winger, full-back or inside the pitch. The same with Alioski, but Harrison does similar work, but in the opposite [positions].
“Some players move in the pitch from the back to forward and other players from forward to back. It’s not something I created. Football is played like that now.”
