OPINION
Leeds United supporters hoping Patrick Bamford can be catapulted back into the first team to spearhead their promotion charge may have to think again.
So much was expected of the striker when he signed for £7million from Middlesbrough last summer in the club’s most expensive purchase since their Premier League days.
But a combination of two serious injuries and Kemar Roofe’s stellar form means Bamford has yet to even start a Championship club for United.
Now, new detail has emerged of the second of the knee injuries sustained by the 25-year-old before Leeds’ 3-2 triumph against Aston Villa on 23 December.
“His injury again was a little bit of a freak one – one of the players fell on him in a training session just before the Aston Villa game where his knee got caught underneath him and twisted,” Price told the official Leeds website.
“Again, the injury he suffered previously, his PCL stayed intact and he didn’t damage that, but he did tear another ligament in his knee and the capsule at the back, so we have had to allow that to settle and then build him back up again outside.
“He is back with the coaching staff and looking quite sharp out there, but we don’t want to rush him back. He has had two separate ligament injuries now on that same knee, so we have to proceed with a little bit of precaution.”
This is startling on a few fronts. Firstly, that Leeds have been able to keep a torn ligament to a star player out of the public domain up until this point.
And, secondly, that Bamford’s chances of making a huge impact in the coming months has rapidly diminished.
He requires extensive further rehabilitation, not to mention a handful of Under-23s matches, before Marcelo Bielsa will be confident of naming him in his starting XI.
And, that, is only as long as the former Chelsea forward does not suffer any further setbacks in what has been a nightmare season for him personally.
Price’s warning that Leeds need to progress with caution with one of their prize assets is alarming and consistutes a major blow.