OPINION
Patrick Bamford has missed Leeds United’s last five matches after suffering a recurrence of the knee injury that wiped out most of the first half of the season for him.
The £7million signing from Middlesbrough is in line to miss quite a few more after Marcelo Bielsa ruled him out of Saturday’s Championship clash against Stoke City.
As quoted by Yorkshire Evening Post correspondent Phil Hay, Bielsa explained at his media conference on Thursday that Bamford “will need a bit more time” and is “not ready to return yet”.
Bielsa says Bamford will need a bit more time. Not ready to return yet. #lufc
— Phil Hay (@PhilHay_) January 17, 2019
Alarmingly, there is no positive news of when the centre-forward will even be able to return to action for the Under-23s, or any glimmer of a shining light as to when he will be back in training.
Leeds have had to get used to life without their most expensive purchase since their Premier League days.
Bamford has not started a single league match this season and his minutes of action in the competition amount to a flimsy 82.
The massively-improved Kemar Roofe has scored the goals that many were expecting from Bamford and developed into one of the best front men in the division.
But, in a marathon Championship campaign, one striker cannot do it all on his own, and Leeds need the Chelsea academy product back fit and firing.
When that will be is anybody’s guess.
The latest update suggests no-one should be expecting to see him any time soon.