It’s time to move on: Leeds United can no longer depend on this player – Opinion.
Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford has endured a challenging spell with injuries over the past few years, and the ongoing setbacks have made him a player the club can no longer rely on.
The decline from Marcelo Bielsa guiding Leeds United to a ninth-place finish in the Premier League to the subsequent season painted a bleak picture of the club’s future if they continued to rely too heavily on the same players.
A series of long-term injuries followed for many of these key players, with Patrick Bamford being the most notable among those struggling to regain full fitness since 2021.
This week, Bamford suffered an adductor injury. He made a brief five-minute appearance in the 0-0 draw against Ashton Gate last weekend, which brought his total playing time this season to just 45 minutes.
This latest injury occurred during the interim between that match and the upcoming clash with Plymouth Argyle.
Leeds manager Daniel Farke confirmed that Bamford is dealing with an adductor issue, making him a minor doubt for Saturday’s match.
The situation is particularly frustrating for both Leeds and Bamford, who finds himself continually sidelined despite barely playing.
This injury cycle has persisted for him since his England call-up in 2021, when he was at the peak of his career.
Since then, he has struggled to regain consistent scoring form, aside from a strong showing during last season’s unbeaten run.
It raises the question: can Bamford break free from this pattern of recovering from injury only to face another setback upon returning to the squad? The chances appear to be diminishing at Elland Road.
Leeds cannot keep entering a season while relying on players who are unable to perform due to ongoing injuries.
Initially, it seemed that with Mateo Joseph and Joel Piroe as the primary starters, the pressure on Bamford to maintain peak fitness would lessen. Unfortunately, the opposite has occurred.
Ultimately, the club and Bamford may need to consider whether a transfer would be the best option for him moving forward, allowing him to escape the intense pressures of promotion and relegation battles that come with playing at Leeds.
This decision could come sooner than his contract expiration in 2026.
