‘There’s plenty of chat’ – Dallas shares what JKA is doing different from rest of Leeds squad
Jean-Kevin Augustin is on a different fitness programme to the rest of the Leeds United squad, according to Stuart Dallas.
Augustin, 22, arrived on loan at Elland Road from RB Leipzig in January but failed to start a single match and made just three substitute appearances before football ground to a halt last month due to the coronavirus crisis.
The French striker suffered a hamstring injury not long before the Championship was suspended and although it has been quite some time since that setback, he has still been on a different training programme to the rest of the squad.
Leeds’ players have been keeping fit at home since training was disbanded last month and Augustin has been posting regular videos of himself on Instagram to show his training progress.
Dallas has great faith in Leeds’ medical staff to get Augustin back up to full speed, even though he is not able to go to Thorp Arch for treatment at the moment and have his fitness monitored in person.
“There’s plenty of chat. Obviously, you’ve got to send in your programmes, but he’s been on a different programme because he’s coming back from injury,” Dallas said, as quoted by LeedsLive.
“He’s putting in the work and we need him firing. We need him playing to his potential and if we can get that it will benefit us massively.
“Everybody’s fit. The backroom team we have, the sports science guys we have, we have a great team there that give us everything we need and then it comes down to how much we really want it.”
Dallas is right about Augustin because we know that he can be a good goalscorer once he is fully up to speed and able to start matches.
Patrick Bamford is Leeds’ top goalscorer this season but the number nine wasn’t exactly in the best form in front of goal before the league’s suspension.
Leeds need Augustin to be there and ready to replace Bamford if Marcelo Bielsa finally opts to drop the ex-Middlesbrough man or if he gets injured or suspended.
In other Leeds United news, the club has no expectations about fans being able to attend the last nine games of the season.