Jaka Bijol has experience of playing in various centre-back positions during his career, for both club and country.
He was mostly deployed in a back-three at Udinese, typically on the right side of the trio. The 26-year-old is no stranger to featuring in a back four either, having done so for Slovenia and former club CSKA Moscow.
Starting out on his centre-back voyage in Russia, having been moved from midfield, Bijol played as the left-sided centre-half. He continues to play that role for Slovenia, for whom he has taken the armband a handful of times.
He is expected to usurp Pascal Struijk in defence within the Leeds United starting XI and form a partnership with Joe Rodon. Though, there is a way all three centre-backs can play. Here are three ways Leeds can line up with Bijol.
Option 1
Bogle, Rodon, Bijol, (left-back)
With Junior Firpo looking like he is off and Sam Byram unlikely to be a starter even should he sign a renewal, it’s unclear who will play the other side of Bijol right now. Gabriel Gudmundsson is of interest but United are not close to signing a new left back just yet.
But either way, this is the most likely line-up that Daniel Farke will use in defence. Rodon is undroppable while Jayden Bogle has earned his place at right-back.
Bijol helped Slovenia keep a clean sheet against England at Euro 2024 while at left centre-back, which exemplifies how comfortable he is there.
Option 2
Bogle, Bijol, Strujik, (left-back)
Should Rodon be unavailable through suspension or get injured, Bijol might be the one that moves across to the right with Struijk coming into the left berth. Not only does Bijol have a bit of experience there but he is also right-footed.
If there is any criticism of the first option it is that United's primary centre-backs have the same preferred foot - many coaches now prefer defenders whose strongest boot is the side they occupy due to angles when playing out. This second option restores this balance.
Furthermore, this option nullifies the early-season worry of two new boys playing directly next to each other in defence, given the inevitable purchase of a new left-back. Another form to this ption is to swap Ethan Ampadu for Struijk, though Farke will want his captain in midfield next season.
Option 3
Bogle, Rodon, Bijol, Struijk, Schmidt
A bit of a rogue selection but if Farke ever wanted to go for a back five, he’s now got esteemed options to do that. For clarity, Farke has almost exclusively used a 4-2-3-1 formation during his time at Leeds, and for most of his managerial career.
But the coach has been known to alter his system if truly required. In this scenario, given Rodon is used to playing in the right centre-back slot and Struijk, the left, Bijol might be the central pick due to his ability to cover both and to compensate for a lack of speed.
This would give Bogle licence to get forward more often while such a role on the left might suit Isaac Schmidt down to the ground.
All this said, it seems unlikely this formation will be used given it would naturally invite pressure, giving Leeds little outlet in midfield and on the wings in the final third. But if Leeds need to see out a 1-0 win in the final five minutes…
Here at LeedsLive, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Leeds United coverage and analysis.
Make sure you don't miss out on the latest Leeds news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.
You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories.