BIELSA BACKS CASILLA AMID RACE ROW

LEEDS boss Marcelo Bielsa has defended his decision to hand Kiko Casilla the captain’s armband following his ban for racial abuse.

The goalkeeper served an eightmatch suspension last season after being found guilty of directing a racist remark towards Charlton forward Jonathan Leko, who later revealed the Spaniard has not apologised to him.

Some Leeds fans were unhappy when Bielsa named the 33-year-old Casilla ( above) as skipper for Wednesday’s Carabao Cup tie at home to Hull, in which he scored in a penalty shootout defeat.

Bielsa said: ‘His team-mates think he deserves to be the captain and we have to listen to those messages. The players see in their captain someone who they think can represent them.

‘I respect the thoughts of any person. After that, opinions can be argued. Surely those who judge Kiko ignore a lot of things his team-mates see in him.

‘Of course we also value the conduct of Kiko, which only we can judge because we are part of the group.

‘When you are subject to what other people judge you for or think, it doesn’t matter what we think, we have to accept the decision of the authorities.

‘It is also important that you may not know what percentage of the fanbase actually didn’t want Kiko as captain, because the opinion of the masses should always be heard.

‘Surely the public won’t have all the information that his teammates will have.’

Leeds host Fulham tomorrow and Bielsa has confirmed that £ 27million club- record signing Rodrigo will not start, but captain Liam Cooper is set to return from injury having missed last weekend’s 4-3 defeat at Liverpool.