Bielsa’s crisis turns up Heat

LEEDS boss Marcelo Bielsa is stepping up his bid to land Tom Heaton after being plunged into a goalkeeper crisis.

Bielsa was already planning a loan swoop for the out-of-favour Burnley star when the January transfer window opens, following the loss Jamal Blackman to a bad injury.

Blackman, on loan from Chelsea, faces being sidelined for the rest of the season after breaking his leg in an Under-23s game against Birmingham a week ago.

Bielsa will now try to sign 32-year-old Heaton (right) on an emergency loan after Bailey PeacockFarrell suffered a knee injury in training.

The Northern Ireland keeper,

21, misses Leeds’ Championship clash at home to Bristol City tomorrow and he could be out of action for weeks.

That leaves Bielsa’s promotion chasers with rookie duo Kamil Miazek and Will Huffer as their only fit keepers – with neither of them having yet made a first-team appearance for the club.

Bielsa hopes to snap up Heaton in time to play against the Robins – at a time he was ready to drop Peacock-Farrell and hand Blackman, 25, his Elland Road debut.

The axe was about to fall on Peacock-Farrell following his poor performance in United’s 4-1 defeat at promotion rivals West Brom last time out.

And Bielsa said: “It’s very sad what has happened to Jamal because he was going to be the starter in this coming game. “The destiny is unfair for him because he is a great human being and a great goalkeeper. “He made a huge effort to win his opportunity to start a game, and now it’s been taken away from him.

“I say he’s the best young English keeper. It’s not just me saying that, it is the opinion of specialists on the subject.

“In this moment I don’t have any news about the possibility to bring someone in.”