Leeds United return to action in the Championship this Friday against Rotherham United and an injury expert has now dropped an update on when one of the Whites’ key men could return.
Since Daniel Farke arrived at Elland Road in the summer, Leeds United have entered a period of stability on the field as they look to build a credible challenge for automatic promotion this term.
So far, the Whites have taken 31 points from their opening 16 fixtures in the English second-tier; however, Ipswich Town hold an eight-point advantage over Leeds United as Kieran McKenna continues to exceed expectations at Portman Road, making the Tractor Boys a difficult proposition to try and catch this term.
Nevertheless, Rotherham United lay in wait at the AESSEAL New York Stadium on Friday night, where Leeds could pick up their seventh win in eight second tier fixtures to aid their quest to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
As cited by the Yorkshire Evening Post, Leeds United will be without Stuart Dallas and Sam Byram for their trip to South Yorkshire. At the same time, Djed Spence is also a doubt for the fixture as it may come too soon for the loanee to make his return to senior action. Despite that, Italy international Wilfried Gnonto is expected to be declared fit for the clash even though he limped off with an injury during an Italy Under-21 match on international duty.
Leeds United’s next five Sky Bet Championship fixtures | |
Opponent | Venue |
Rotherham United (A) | AESSEAL New York Stadium |
Swansea City (H) | Elland Road |
Middlesbrough (H) | Elland Road |
Blackburn Rovers (A) | Ewood Park |
Sunderland (A) | Stadium of Light |
Now, an expert has explained when one other Leeds United absentee could return to contention under Farke after suffering a bout of illness.
Patrick Bamford’s return…
Speaking to MOT Leeds News, Physical Therapy and Sports Science specialist Dr Rajpal Brar has indicated that Leeds United could look to keep striker Patrick Bamford isolated from the rest of his teammates until he has fully recovered from his recent illness.
Brar told the outlet: “It will depend on the illness but when the player is still in the contagious stage, they will be told to be away from the team so there’s a chance that could’ve happened with Bamford.
“Once they’re into the less contagious stages, they may return to individual work and then eventually team training. Usually, illnesses aren’t too serious where they keep players out for multiple games so he should be back after the break.“
This term, Bamford, who was labelled “exceptional” by Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp back in 2021, has struggled to make an impact on the field this term and has failed to score a single goal in eight appearances across all competitions (Bamford statistics – Transfermarkt).
Nevertheless, the former Chelsea man is a valuable asset with plenty of experience under his belt and Farke will be keen to see Bamford return as soon as feasibly possible.
