While Leeds United await the official wording on goalkeeper Kiko Casilla’s eight-match ban from the Football Association, BBC reporter Adam Pope has given further details on the situation.
What’s he said?
The Spaniard was found guilty of racially abusing Charlton Athletic forward Jonathan Leko, who had been on loan from title rivals West Brom, and was also fined £60,000.
Casilla has since denied the charge and released a statement of his own, but the FA are still yet to publish one themselves.
He missed Leeds’ rampant 4-0 demolition of Hull City on Saturday afternoon as a result and is set to miss their next seven league outings.
Pope was asked on Twitter if the west Yorkshiremen were planning on appealing the decision, to which he replied:
Any way back?
There are only ten games remaining in the Championship this season and Casilla will be absent for 70% of them.
In his absence this weekend, young loanee Illan Meslier was handed the reins for just his second start of the season, and his performance not only included a clean sheet to his name but also glowing endorsements from fans, who have touted him to be their number one for years to come.
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This is hardly good news for Casilla as fans have already taken to the man deputising for him.
And if he keeps it up, it can be argued that the 33-year-old’s place in the starting line up long-term is at serious risk, especially as fans have been hammering him for his displays all season.
Casilla has kept 15 clean sheets in his 35 league games this term, but it would be a hard task to drop a player in form – should Meslier go on a similar run of stopping the opposition during this rare opportunity.
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And in other news, Leeds must steer well clear of this potential Bielsa REPLACEMENT…