Usually, I’d be writing this sort of message purely off the back of his style of play, and as a result, all the errors that come with it.
However, now I find myself doing it more out of common sense than with some form of ‘agenda’ if you would against him. This time I am really looking out for his wellbeing, I’m not a total monster.
Speaking ahead of tonight’s game with Middlesbrough, Bielsa gave an update on the Spanish goalkeeper after he picked up an injury to his finger in the victory over Reading at the weekend, but didn’t say for sure whether or not he’d be able to play through the pain:
“Kiko has a problem with his hand, there is inflammation from a kick. Maybe he will play, that depends on the pain.”
I did write earlier today that it might be a case of the universe trying to tell Marcelo Bielsa something when it comes to Kiko Casilla, what with all the stuff that seems to be going against the Spanish goalkeeper at the moment, and whilst I may have been joking slightly over it, there is still the message there that it might be best to take him out of the firing line.
Should Bielsa start with Meslier tonight?
Yes
No
But when it comes to a player’s health, that enters a totally different realm.
I think that Bielsa needs to play it safe with something like this and just play Illan Meslier in his place. It’s the same of ‘injury management’ and precaution that you would use with any other player, and indeed he did with Pablo Hernandez earlier in the season, even though he may have been fit, he was brought off the bench when he returned against Sheffield Wednesday.
And it’s not as if he’d be taking that big a risk by playing the young Frenchman, he’s stated before how big a fan he was of his after his display at Arsenal, so if you’ll pardon the pun, we’ll very much be in safe hands. Much better to have that than stick with Casilla because of this seemingly never-ending loyalty that Bielsa has in him despite his numerous errors.
Rather than risk Casilla making yet another error because he hasn’t recovered from the injury as well as he’d like.