Leeds United forward Patrick Bamford shares Wolves regret after injury
Patrick Bamford has lifted the lid on his ongoing fitness battle as the Leeds United forward faces another spell on the sidelines.
The England international has only appeared for the Whites nine times this season, having a hand in four goals along the way.
Bamford admitted he knew it was “only a matter of time” after he was forced off the field in Leeds’ emphatic 3-2 comeback against Wolves last time out.
“I think I was trying to get through the pain and almost forced myself back a little bit to try and help the team,” Bamford told Sky Sports. “Without wanting to sound big-headed, I knew that I had a big role to play.
“I was eager to get back, but it was one of them where I knew eventually it was going to go and it was just a matter of time, really.
“When I had the partial tear and found out about that, I had the injections and it was building it back up until, really, I was comfortable training and then I eased into matches – I played a little bit in the Villa and Norwich games. But when I came off at half-time [of the Norwich game] I was in a bit of pain, so I knew it wasn’t quite right.
“Going into the Wolves game, if I was honest with myself, I should have said no [to playing]. But then they kept asking me if I wanted to play and I said ‘yes.’
“As soon as I started the warm-up [at Wolves], I knew. There were four actions where it started tearing and then the last one I knew something had happened.”
Fingers crossed
This season has been like something out of a movie for the Whites.
A catalogue of injuries and their inability to deal with them has massively hindered their Premier League campaign, leaving them with a lot of work still left to do to ensure their safety for next season.
Bamford’s absence along with several other key senior players, particularly Kalvin Phillips’ has left the squad a shadow of what is when the previous season when Leeds boasted a ninth-place finish.
Jesse Marsch’s arrival has helped the squad massively though. The American has strung together a few wins that now see them looking up the table, sizing up Brentford, rather than down at the drop zone.
Hopefully, Bamford can return and stay fit before the end of the season and build some momentum going into next season.
He will be desperate to impress England boss Gareth Southgate with the 2022 World Cup in Qatar just round the corner.
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