OPINION
Marcelo Bielsa should unleash Kemar Roofe in the next couple of matches after it was confirmed that Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford has been suspended.
Leeds announced in a statement via their official website on Thursday that Bamford, 25, will be banned from playing against Ipswich on Sunday and in the first leg of their play-off semi-final.
Bamford has been done for successfully deceiving a match official after feigning a face injury that let to Aston Villa winger Anwar El-Ghazi being sent off last week.
The former Middlesbrough striker has been a mainstay in Bielsa’s starting line-up having started all of the club’s last 15 Championship fixtures.
However his suspension now means that the Leeds manager will be forced into a change this weekend against relegated Ipswich, and in a bid to avoid defeat and a potential drop down the fourth in the table, Roofe has to be unleashed.
The 26-year-old has been under-used by Bielsa in the last few months and he has not started a game since the 2-1 win against Swansea in mid-February.
Roofe has been injured in that time but even though he returned to fitness at the start of April, he has had to make do with a spot on the Leeds bench.
The former West Brom attacker is someone with immense quality though and that could prove critical to Leeds as they aim to win promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs.
Roofe should be unleashed against Ipswich in a bid to get him back up to full speed and hopefully see him get on the scoresheet to avoid a defeat and set up a potential play-off semi-final against Derby.
Frank Lampard’s side will be quaking in their boots at the thought of Roofe playing because he has already scored three goals against the Rams this season.
He has a knack of hitting the net against the East Midlands club and that will no doubt be an advantage for the Whites as they begin their last-ditch attempt at winning promotion.
It is a no-brainer for Bielsa to start Roofe in the next two games and if he impresses in them, Bamford should stay at on the bench for whatever games follow.