By Craig Scott

3rd Mar, 2022 | 1:10pm

Patrick Bamford update amid sighting - Early Leeds United team news v Leicester

Patrick Bamford is not yet ready to return from injury for Leeds United when they play Leicester, Jesse Marsch has confirmed.

Speaking to the media for the first time as Leeds manager on Thursday [3 March], Marsch said that Bamford, Kalvin Phillips and Liam Cooper are still out of contention.

However, Bamford was spotted in training at Thorp Arch earlier on Thursday in an encouraging boost.

But, as confirmed by Marsch, he won’t be in the squad at the King Power on Saturday.

As quoted by LeedsLive, Marsch said: “Medical team introduced a myriad of injury situations here. Guys have been playing with injuries and fighting injuries and then picked up more problems. I need to help guys recover as quickly as possible without overloading them to stop them being in further danger. Long-term vision for what that means.

“Twelve games. We need points, but we need to get stronger as we move along and not weaker. Bamford in training today. Kalvin and Liam on the pitch and working. Closer and closer. Not ready for Saturday.

“A bunch of guys who have missed training this week which needs a decision.”

New dawn

All eyes will be on Leeds United this week as they start a new era without Marcelo Bielsa as their manager.

Bielsa had done an amazing job at Elland Road but with the Whites just above the Premier League’s relegation zone going into their meeting with Leicester, it probably was the right time for a change.

Whether or not the decision to sack him was correct will come to light in the coming weeks with Marsch now the man tasked with keeping Leeds in the Premier League.

There’s no denying it’s a huge job for the American, who lasted just a number of months in his last role at RB Leipzig after they sacked him in December.

One of the main things Marsch will have to do is to plug the leaks in the defence because Leeds are conceding way too many goals lately.

Bielsa was criticised for his players going man-for-man and we’d expect Marsch to put a stop to that.

Diego Llorente and Pascal Struijk are not blessed with pace and, as seen in recent weeks, have a lot of mistakes in them. Maybe it’s best if they sit deeper, especially against a striker like Jamie Vardy.

We’ll see how it pans out this weekend but Marsch needs to get his side off to a good start otherwise we can see the locals starting to turn.

In other Leeds United news, Charlie Austin was blown away by this video clip he saw of Bielsa at the weekend.