Marcelo Bielsa believes commercial aspects in football override player welfare

Leeds head coach Marcelo Bielsa believes player workload is “a second thought” when decisions are taken over the scheduling of matches.

The Argentinian said the tight turnaround between Wednesday’s 3-3 draw away to Aston Villa and Saturday’s match at Everton meant his players could not recover properly.

Following the trip to Goodison Park the Whites also face a difficult run of three games in six days against Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham which could have a big bearing on whether Leeds – currently 15th – pull clear of trouble or are sucked into a relegation scrap.

“There’s no time for preparation because there also isn’t time for adequate recovery. The games are scheduled clearly ignoring that aspect,” Bielsa said on Friday.

“The commercial aspects and the commitments due to the sales of the games make the decisions exclusively dependent on that. All of the aspects that make a competition fair for all those in it are not there in my opinion. Teams are facing each other in different conditions.

“The games are planned without the possibility of rest and ignoring the potential injuries, but that’s the same for everybody.

The compromises that should be made for the spectacle of the game, and for the fairness of the competition, are a second thought- Marcelo Bielsa

“There are aspects that increase the difficulty and complexity, and there are also aspects which can be resolved in a better way than the one chosen.

“But the compromises that should be made for the spectacle of the game, and for the fairness of the competition, are a second thought.”

Asked what he thought the solution might be, Bielsa said: “You guys (the media) know better than us what the best solution is – to play less and to admit that to play