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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
James Whaling

Marcelo Bielsa on his plans for Arsenal starlet Eddie Nketiah after Ian Wright demand

Marcelo Bielsa insists he won't be rushed into finding a way to fit Patrick Bamford and Eddie Nketiah into the same team after yet another crucial goal for the Arsenal starlet.

Nketiah emerged from the bench to net a late equaliser for Leeds at Preston to leave them second in the Championship.

Gunners legend Ian Wright took to Twitter to urge Bielsa to start the England Under-21 international after his third Championship goal of the campaign.

The youngster is yet to start a game in the league having emerged from the bench on 11 occasions.

Leeds fans have joined Wright in encouraging their manager to play Nketiah from the beginning of matches after Bamford missed a host of chances at Deepdale.

(Mark Cosgrove/News Images/REX)

"We have never proved this kind of combination in our training," Bielsa said of the possibility of the strike duo playing in tandem.

"In the international break, Nketiah is not with us, because we play twice a week and when we prepare in the week there are few spaces to try these kinds of things.

"When you have a series of bad results and you have to find a different solution, that [kind of series] hasn't happened.

"I think that all this around Bamford and Nketiah doesn't help both of them.

"It is natural that people argue about my decision because they don't have all the reasons I have. I want both of them to be a success this year. We have 46 matches or 50 matches.

"We are in the first 25 per cent of the competition. I think that we have time so I can find a way that both of them shine. If this doesn't happen, it is going to be a mistake of mine."

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