Any sports athlete will tell you that the only thing they want to do after a mistake or horror-show is to get back out there and make amends.

It will be insightful to discover whether Leeds United boss Daniel Farke allows Illan Meslier to do that in Saturday’s FA Cup tie with Harrogate Town, a week after his blunder against Hull City. If not for his mistake, this might be less of a debate point.

It is, of course, common for managers to rotate goalkeepers for cup matches against lower-league opposition and the title of ‘cup goalkeeper’ has become more frequent in the past decade. Back-up Karl Darlow has played more games for Wales (three) than Leeds this season, his sole club outing coming in August's 3-0 defeat to Middlesbrough.

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It would be no surprise to see him in between the sticks at the weekend, and thereby shield Meslier from the limelight. However, there may be an argument to start Meslier in order to provide him with a confidence boost amid the mantra that the best way to recover from falling off the bike is to get back on it.

Which path Farke will go down is an interesting conundrum. Marcelo Bielsa faced a similar crossroads four years ago with the same goalkeeper.

The Frenchman had given a penalty away against Arsenal during a 4-2 defeat in February 2021 after Bukayo Saka nipped in as he dawdled on the ball. He was then beaten at his near post by Hector Bellerin four minutes later.

Bielsa came to the defence of Meslier that day and outlined that he had no intentions to make any radical changes in goal. “There’s no goalkeeper that doesn’t make any mistakes,” Bielsa said.

“It’s normal the critics forget about what you’ve done in the past and fix themselves on the present.”

Much like this season, those errors against Arsenal were far from the only mistakes he made that campaign. Bielsa stuck with him for the next 13 Premier League games albeit did end up benching for the final two matches.

Bielsa had added after the Arsenal defeat: “Goalkeepers consolidate themselves when they get over mistakes they’ve made.” Farke may concur.

Farke has already hinted that, for him too, switching his goalkeeper is not something that is done haphazardly. "We don't change a goalkeeper quickly like a full-back,” he said in Hull.

“Is it different for goalkeepers? Yes of course because it's not like after one or two mistakes you change.

“If a winger is poor you substitute. There are a few positions when you don't change that quickly like you would for a winger or full-back. A goalkeeper or perhaps centre-back, these are different.”

Farke did go on to warn that “there is no rule that a player is not dropped” but the chances of dropping Meslier, for league action at least, do not seem to be high. This weekend’s match being a cup tie is different but the goalkeeper selection will be a talking point and stir further discussion, regardless.