Patrick Bamford’s injury has caused concern to spread amongst Leeds fans.
The posterior cruciate ligament injury suffered by Patrick Bamford will see Leeds’ big-money signing ruled out until the new year, with four months touted as the estimated recovery time. But it is difficult to tell with such an injury.
Any little niggle can postpone the 25-year-old’s recovery, and at least when those four months are up, it will take the former Middlesbrough and Chelsea striker time to finally regain match fitness and his place in the side.
It is time Leeds cannot afford to waste. To build a title chase, or even an assault on the top six in the Championship, you cannot wait around for anybody – even Bamford.
That should be enough to convince Marcelo Bielsa to bring in a new striker as soon as possible, but there are little options in the free agent market right now. Indeed, a loan move in January is the ideal scenario for all involved.
Fraser Hornby’s red-hot form for Scotland’s Under-21 side cannot have gone unmissed by many Football League managers, as the Everton striker has scored five goals in two games during the international break.
He has almost single-handedly pushed Scotland within a chance of qualifying for next summer’s Under-21 European Championships, with the pick of his goals coming from 45 yards out after a goalkeeper error in Holland.
Target man Hornby, 18, has told the Capital City Press that he wants to leave Everton on loan, with the likes of Cenk Tosun, Oumar Niasse and Dom Calvert-Lewin in front of him in the pecking order.
With the player keen to go on loan, Everton likely to be willing to get him first-team experience, red-hot form with his national side and Leeds’ desperation for cover to back-up Kemar Roofe – Hornby is perfect.
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