CHARLIE CRESSWELL’S rock-solid performance in Leeds United’s Carabao Cup victory at Fulham has given Marcelo Bielsa food for thought as he ponders his line-up for today’s Premier League game against West Ham.

The 19-year-old centre-back helped the Whites’ makeshift defence keep a clean sheet in London. If the club’s injury list does not clear up, he could make his top flight debut against the in-form Hammers.

With Diego Llorente, Robin Koch and Luke Ayling all missing through injury at Craven Cottage, and Pascal Struijk serving the second game of a three-match suspension, Bielsa did not risk playing skipper Liam Cooper in case he joined the sick list.

It is not known yet if any of the injured defensive duo will be ready to face David Moyes’ men.

Cresswell - who was raised in York where his father, Richard, played and coached - featured alongside Kalvin Phillips, who could revert back to his usual midfield role against the Hammers. That could open the door for young Cresswell to line up alongside Cooper against the powerful Michail Antonio, the Premier League’s player of the month for August.

Also missing at Fulham because of injury were striker Patrick Bamford (ankle) and Brazilian winger Raphinha (hip).

Should they also be ruled out then Joe Geldhardt and Crysencio Summerville may also come into Bielsa’s thinking for Saturday.

Geldhardt, 19, came on as a substitute at Fulham and converted one of the penalties. The former Wigan Athletic youngster is in a rich vein of form, scoring a hat-trick for England Under-20s against Romania earlier this month and two wonder goals in United U23’s 4-0 win at Liverpool last Sunday.

There may be a clue to Bielsa’s thinking when the Whites U23s tackle Blackburn Rovers in a Premier League 2 division one game at York’s LNER Community Stadium tonight (7pm).

The youngsters that play the full 90 minutes at York are unlikely to feature in his plans for West Ham, while absentees for the Blackburn game could well find themselves in the Premier League matchday squad.

West Ham will arrive at Elland Road in buoyant mood having knocked Manchester United out of the Carabao Cup at Old Trafford on Wednesday with a Manuel Lanzini goal after nine minutes.

Leeds’ reward for their 6-5 spot-kick victory is a fourth round trip to Arsenal. The other games are Chelsea v Southampton, Stoke v Brentford, West Ham v Manchester City, Leicester v Brighton, Burnley v Tottenham, QPR v Sunderland, Preston v Liverpool.

United’s Premier League home match against Leicester City has been put back a day to Sunday, November 7 (2pm).

Two Leeds away games that month have also been rearranged for the benefit of Sky Sports television coverage. The Whites will travel to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday 21 (4.30pm) while their match at Brighton the following Saturday will now kick off at 5.30pm.