Leeds United and Manchester United have had contrasting starts to the season, and the media coverage has reflected that.
While the Whites are unbeaten in their opening five Premier League games and have nine points in the bag, Manchester United are struggling and have won just one of their first five league games this term.
Leeds fans are enjoying watching their team play well and are also relishing seeing their age-old rivals struggle under Michael Carrick in the first few weeks of the season.
However, a Manchester United player has received surprise support from a Leeds star after he came under fire from Red Devils legend Paul Scholes in the media.
Read More: Daniel Farke has explained why Leeds star was benched in recent games
Leed star comes in defence of Manchester United man after Paul Scholes attack
Benjamin Sesko has already scored twice this season, including in the Champions League, but he has been struggling with a shin injury since the end of last season.
The injury has flared up again, forcing him to miss Sunday’s 1-1 draw against Fulham. However, Paul Scholes is not impressed and insisted that the forward should play as long as the shin is not broken.
“If it isn’t broken, just wear your shin pads”, Scholes said on The Good, The Bad and The Football podcast.
Leeds defender Jaka Bijol, Sesko’s Slovenian teammate, has not been impressed by the criticism of the striker, especially about his injury problem.
He stressed that the striker should not care what Scholes has to say or let it affect his confidence. The defender insisted that everyone is well aware of the quality the Manchester United star has in abundance.
“I hope and believe that Beni knows how to distance himself from this kind of pressure”, Bijol was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail.
“When things aren’t going your best on the pitch, and you have certain doubts, reading things like this can make your confidence even worse.
“He shouldn’t pay too much attention to it, since we all know what quality he has. He himself knows what kind of footballer he is, and I think he always shows it with incredible things on the pitch.”
Read More: Leeds risk losing two key stars for nothing as 49ers face transfer dilemma
It is no surprise that Bijol has defended Sesko despite the rivalry between the two clubs
While Leeds fans may not appreciate one of their players getting involved publicly in a spat between a current Manchester United star and Scholes, it is no surprise that Bijol has spoken out.
Sesko is a key part of Slovenia’s national team squad, and his shin injury means he won’t be involved with the team during the international break.
It’s no shock that Bijol cares about his compatriot and teammate and has defended the forward after being asked to play injured.
The Leeds defender played a huge part in neutralising Sesko’s threat in Leeds’ win at Old Trafford last season, but he cares about his compatriot off the pitch.
Great attitude to a fellow pro … well done Jaka Bijol, proud you’re a Leeds United player.