The Leeds United boss needs to box smart with Patrick Bamford – and Wednesday is a good chance to use Eddie Nketiah.
We’re only three games in, but already it looks like Patrick Bamford might be Leeds United’s most important player from now until May.
He scored twice in the Whites’ 2-0 win at Wigan on Saturday to make it three goals in as many games.
Problem is, the 25-year-old, who missed four months in total last season, is a tad injury prone and if Leeds are going to win promotion this season, they have to be so very careful with him, with Kemar Roofe gone.
Bamford has now played every single minute of Championship football for United this season and despite his brace, should Marcelo Bielsa throw a curveball by starting Eddie Nketiah ahead of him for Pontus Jansson’s homecoming with Brentford on Wednesday?
Nketiah, on loan from Arsenal, scored on his debut last week as Leeds breezed past Salford City in the League Cup. The 20-year-old is less experienced than Bamford, but he is a lot more mobile and Jansson may not be so thrilled to be marking him.
The Brentford manager wouldn’t be thrilled to see him start either, for Thomas Frank will be setting his defence up to combat a Bamford-led Leeds, not one with the unknown Nketiah as the spearhead.
Bielsa wouldn’t be dropping Bamford – he’d be rotating him and the former Middlesbrough star’s capacity to stay fit all season is going to hinge on rotation. If he starts and finishes every game, he will break down sooner or later and then Nketiah, without a Championship match to his name as of now, will be charged with the responsibility of firing his loan club to promotion.
That would be a touch negligible of Bielsa to effectively ask that of the young Gunner.
This season is going to be a balancing act between keeping Bamford fit and hoping Nketiah is an able deputy – and now it’s time for the latter to tip the scales.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
