Marcelo Bielsa suffered a huge blow to his Leeds United promotion hopes, with the news that influential centre-back Pontus Janss0n has been ruled out for at least three weeks with a knee injury.

The Swedish international picked up the injury during Saturday’s hugely disappointing defeat to rivals Sheffield United, who leapfrogged the Whites into second place in the table.

According to Sky Sports, Jansson has already been ruled out for the visit of Millwall, but the club are hopeful that he will be back for the following week’s trip to Birmingham.

The loss of such an important player is potentially devastating news for Bielsa, especially in such a tight race for the two automatic promotion spots.

His influence on the back line cannot be underestimated, and he is one of the main reasons that Leeds are sitting on the verge of a Premier League return.

With goal difference likely to be very significant, they will need a tight ship at the back in the remaining weeks, with Leeds already having a worse ratio that both Norwich and the Blades.

Fortunately, his absence should be minimised by the international break, and Jansson will remain in England for treatment, instead of linking up with his Swedish teammates.

The defender has made more than 70 appearances for the club since arriving from Torino in 2017, and Bielsa will be hoping his spell on the sidelines is short-lived.

What are your thoughts on the loss of Jansson? Would you be confident in whoever Bielsa brings him in to replace him? Let us know your thoughts…