Patrick Bamford likely to be out until late November in Leeds United blow
Patrick Bamford is unlikely to play again for Leeds United until late November, according to injury expert Ben Dinnery.
Leeds play away at Norwich on Sunday ahead of that game, Marcelo Bielsa confirmed that Bamford, 28, won’t be available due to his current ankle injury.
After that update by the boss, Dinnery took to his personal Twitter account to suggest Bamford may not be fit until the 12th game week of the Premier League season, which is when Leeds play away at Tottenham on November 21.
“No precise return for [Luke] Ayling, although Bielsa said two weeks ago that he was around ‘halfway’ through his recovery which suggests a return after the next break,” said Dinnery.
“I think we’ll be lucky to see Bamford before GW12 as well.”
Crushing blow
Leeds have really struggled for goals this season and to be without their top goalscorer from last term for another couple of games is annoying.
Bamford had just one goal to his name in five Premier League appearances before his injury against Newcastle.
While we’re not suggesting that if he was back in the side we’d start scoring for fun and charging up the Premier League table, we would find it far easier in certain games.
Rodrigo isn’t a bad player but he’s not used to playing as a striker for Leeds and isn’t as good in the role Bielsa wants him to play in as Bamford.
But now it seems as though Rodrigo is destined to start up front against Norwich on Sunday and against Leicester next weekend.
There’s an international break after that and Bamford doesn’t seem likely to make the England squad but once that’s over, it’s the Spurs game and we’ll be crossing our fingers he’s back then and his absence doesn’t spill over into December.
In other Leeds United news, this “fearless” Under-23s ace is the talk of the town at Thorp Arch.