Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa has dismissed criticism of U23 coach Mark Jackson.
Jackson's team is struggling this season.
But Bielsa says: "I think it's a group with a lot of qualitie.
"They are very close to the first team. We count on the support from their manager [Mark Jackson]. He helps us in a big way in the management of his U23s; the first team is missing ten players and those ten players are replaced by players from the U23s. As a result, the U23s also have ten players missing and the same happens with the U18s.
"It is very complicated for everybody to balance out the absences.
"For example in the last game [3-3 vs Sunderland U23 in PL Cup], three players came off at half-time that are linked to the first-team and three other players came on. And that is something I ask from him [Jackson] and deteriorates the performance of his team. So Summerville comes off for McKinstry to come on, Cody [Drameh] comes off for [Kris] Moore to come on, and Greenwood comes off so Jenkins can come on. And to play the second half with three subs already done, without the possibility to hold a substitution, it's a very risky way.
"In the second half if they had another change, [16-year-old James] Debayo would not have continued on the pitch."
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