Daniel Farke provided a brand new injury update for his Leeds United side ahead of Sunday’s play-off final against Southampton.
The Whites travel to Wembley this weekend hoping to make an immediate return to the Premier League after missing out on the top two in the later parts of the season.
To get to this point, Leeds overcame the disappointment of their season-ending performance by defeating Norwich City 4-0 in the semi-finals.
Farke was missing a few key players that night, including Stuart Dallas, Pascal Struijk, Sam Byram, and Patrick Bamford, all due to injuries.
While Dallas and Struijk were already gone for the season, Byram was an afterthought. Bamford, meanwhile, has been working on his fitness for the past few weeks after suffering a knee injury at Middlesbrough last month.
Farke says he wishes he could choose Patrick Bamford.
Aside from Dallas, who has already announced his retirement after more than two years out injured, all of the players missing against the Canaries have something valuable to offer the club.
Struijk’s set-piece presence at both ends, as well as his ball-controlling ability at the back, have been sorely missed. Byram, meanwhile, is undoubtedly Leeds’ most secure full-back in terms of defence.
While Dallas and Struijk were already gone for the season, Byram was an afterthought. Bamford, meanwhile, has been working on his fitness for the past few weeks after suffering a knee injury at Middlesbrough last month.
Farke says he wishes he could choose Patrick Bamford.
Aside from Dallas, who has already announced his retirement after more than two years out injured, all of the players missing against the Canaries have something valuable to offer the club.
Struijk’s set-piece presence at both ends, as well as his ball-controlling ability at the back, have been sorely missed. Byram, meanwhile, is undoubtedly Leeds’ most secure full-back in terms of defence.
And, while Bamford’s missed opportunities can be frustrating, Leeds have won 11 of the 15 league games he has started this season, indicating that they are a better team when he is on the pitch.
However, Bamford will not be available for Sunday’s final, and Farke confessed in his pre-match press conference that he wishes he was.
He stated, “I would have preferred to have Patrick available.” It’s also critical right now to accept reality. He is not present, and it is up to us to discover alternative alternatives.
“I trust my entire crew; there are no complaints or excuses. I won’t discuss the starting lineup right now. We got our groove again in the playoffs and want to prove that on Sunday.”
Who may take over for Bamford at Leeds?
Despite rising requests for Mateo Joseph to be given a chance, Farke has stuck with Joel Piroe as Leeds’ number nine when Bamford has been unavailable.
It’s fair to say it hasn’t worked in many games, with the 24-year-old especially ineffectual in defeats to Blackburn Rovers and QPR.
However, Piroe appears to have improved since scoring on the final day against Sunday’s opponents, with his performance in the second leg triumph over Norwich being his best in a white shirt.
With that in mind, Farke is unlikely to have brought Bamford back into the starting lineup, but he would have been a useful addition to the bench.
