Here is your Leeds United morning digest on Monday, February 8.
U23 absentees could indicate Bielsa's plans
Leeds duo Charlie Cresswell and Niall Huggins were both omitted from the under-23s' squad for their win over Middlesbrough yesterday afternoon.
The young Whites won 4-2 against Boro and did it without two of their key players.
Cresswell, 18, and Huggins, 20, have both been in fine form for Mark Jackson's side in recent weeks and their omission may have come as a surprise to avid watchers of the under-23s.
However, this could have been an indication as to what Marcelo Bielsa is going to do this evening, for the first team's Premier League clash with Crystal Palace.
It would make sense that the youngsters were included in the matchday squad, as it would benefit them - even if they don't play any minutes - and they could offer something to Bielsa following their strong recent displays.
Huggins is yet to make his senior debut for the West Yorkshire club, but Cresswell has had some taste of first-team action after featuring against Hull City in the Carabao Cup earlier in the campaign.
Read the full story here.
Gvardiol's honest admission
Leeds were chasing the signature of promising young centre-back Josko Gvardiol over the summer.
However, Gvardiol ended up moving to RB Leipzig from Dinamo Zagreb and has impressed since the signing was made.
The 19-year-old has now revealed he travelled to the Whites over a potential move and was blown away by the preparation the backroom staff put in as they attempted to bring in the highly-rated defender.
He also shared his concern over the intensity and fixture schedule in the Premier League this season.
"Bielsa personally, as well as the people from the club, called me on daily basis,” the Leipzig defender said, as translated by journalist Juraj Vrdoljak.
“It was amazing. I couldn't believe such a big club and a great manager like him would consider me for their team. And it was always my dream to play in England too.
"It was during the summertime. I came there, and they've presented me with a great video presentation of my skills, both defensive and attacking ones.
“And I was like 'wow, they've really nailed this. I'm moving to Leeds.' But then, I've had the same feeling after meeting at RBL.
"You suddenly become more realistic once you get the offer in front of you.
“I reminded myself I'm only 18 and I'm not really sure how would I fit at Leeds, especially with all that packed schedule. I'd probably got massacred there at this phase."
Read the full story here.
Struijk outlines best position
Leeds defender Pascal Struijk has revealed the position where he feels he affects the game the most.
Struijk has played as a left centre-back as well as a right centre-back - which perhaps isn't natural for a left-footed defender.
The 21-year-old has revealed that he does feel more comfortable on the left-hand side, typically for Liam Cooper, but isn't opposed to playing on the right.
"Yeah I'm enjoying it, it feels more comfortable for me to play at centre-back as I've played there longer so I'm enjoying my time there," the Leeds star said to the BBC.
"I would say left [centre-back] is a bit easier for me, driving the ball and playing out but to be honest I haven't a big problem playing on the right."
The young defender also spoke about how his side try and keep their play as unpredictable as possible by mixing up how direct they go during games.
"It makes our play unpredictable, sometimes we go short, sometimes we go long, so being able to give the diagonal pass you give the opponent a surprise," he said.
