Patrick Bamford has been ruled out of Leeds United’s clash against Hull on Saturday, with Marcelo Bielsa confirming that the striker will not return from a fresh knee injury until next month.
The 25-year-old has missed the last two matches since his goalscoring return against Bolton on December 15 after suffering a knee injury in training last week.
Bielsa confirms that Bamford should be back in early January, but for now, the Whites are going to have to cope without him in their Yorkshire derby clash with Hull at Elland Road this weekend.
“[Tyler] Roberts will be back before Bamford,” Bielsa said, as quoted by the Yorkshire Evening Post. “Tyler Roberts might be with us in the next game and I think Patrick Bamford will be with us at the beginning of January.”
OPINION
It was never thought that Bamford’s new injury was serious, so this is certainly a positive update by Bielsa, albeit being an annoying one. Bamford may be back in the next week or so but to be without him for the current fixture congestion could lead to other players like Kemar Roofe running out of steam or picking up an injury of his own. Luckily Leeds have been able to cope with injury and selection issues all season and remain top of the Championship table heading into 2019. After playing Hull this weekend, Leeds face a big game against Nottingham Forest on New Year’s Day. Bamford could be back for that game going by Bielsa’s confirmation that he’ll be back in early January, but the chances of that happening have to be quite low. Bielsa shouldn’t rush the 6ft 1 (transfermarkt) striker back unless he has to, but judging by the update on Roberts, he should be back before him anyway so that won’t be an issue.