Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford may return v Leicester City but unlikely to play full game

Leeds United attacker Patrick Bamford is reportedly expected to return to the playing eleven for the Premier League clash against Leicester City on Thursday.

According to LeedsLive journalist Beren Cross, his second-half performance against Arsenal means that is expected to be named in the starting lineup.

However, Cross does not see him playing more than 60 minutes as he still does not appear to be fully match fit to last an entire game.

He wrote, "That second-half impact should mean he starts tonight, but anything longer than an hour seems unlikely given he’s only been beyond that twice this term. Bamford’s last 90 minutes for the first team was September 17 last year, when he first suffered the original injury which started this awful chain of events at Newcastle United."

Easing him back

It makes sense to ease Bamford back as he has relapsed a number of times and that's because he was rushed back in.

At 29, his body isn't what it once was and recovery tends to take longer than it normally would - something even he appears to be understanding.

Playing him for an hour and then withdrawing him for Rodrigo or Wilfried Gnonto appears to be what is for the American.

He opted to start Rodrigo for the first half against Arsenal and the Spaniard was receiving passes all over the pitch and wasn't occupying centre-backs and being a goal threat.

Bamford, while he's not the best of finishers, is a menace inside the box and ensures that the opposition line drops deeper whenever he's playing.

He's also one of the most relentless pressers in the team and when fit, it's pretty much a given that he's the best man to lead the line.

In other Leeds United news, a Sky Sports pundit has delivered Jesse Marsch’s “sack” verdict after what he heard this month.