Leeds United are in a bit of a dire situation at the back.

The Whites have to deal with three injuries to key defensive players with Diego Llorente, Liam Cooper and Kalvin Phillips all sidelined at the moment.

This has left Marcelo Bielsa with a sizeable selection headache and a defensive rejig is in order at Elland Road.

We already know that Pascal Struijk is set to move into Kalvin Phillips’ spot at the base of the midfield, while Robin Koch is likely to fill one of the centre-back spots, but the other centre-half position is up for grabs.

One option that the Argentine may want to explore is using Luke Ayling in that role.

Ayling has played centre-back before and he is more experienced than someone like Oliver Casey who would be one of Bielsa’s only other options in that position.

Of course, this leaves another issue at right-back, but that is a problem that can easily be fixed by Jamie Shackleton.

We’ve not seen much of Shackleton this season, with the 21-year-old playing just nine Premier League minutes so far, but he certainly has what it takes to fill in at right-back against Aston Villa.

The youngster has all the physical attributes needed to be a success in the modern full-back role, with Noel Whelan giving him a glowing review after he returned from an injury last year, saying:

“He is very quick, tenacious, really energetic, good on the ball, a real athlete, so his return at such a key point in the season is very welcome.”

He’s a midfielder by trade, but Leeds don’t have another senior right-back behind Ayling and Shackleton has deputised in that role previously.

It may be time for Bielsa to unleash Shackleton and give him a shot at starting in the Premier League. If he shines against a Villa side that have won every game so far this season, it may not be long before he’s a regular starter in the top-flight.