Daniel Farke says Leeds United have a player who needs carefully managing this season

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Daniel Farke had mixed news to deliver on the injury front in his presser ahead of Leeds United’s return to Championship action against Burnley.

The Whites have had a couple of weeks since their last match against Burnley to get some bodies back, though that has not necessarily been the case.

Dan James had been pencilled in for a return at the weekend after picking up a hamstring injury in the week leading up to the win over Hull City, but has suffered a fresh setback and now could be out until after the international break.

Max Wober, meanwhile, had recovered from a calf injury to be on the bench against Hull City, but is now nursing a fresh issue with his knee.

Wober’s availability is now into question once again for the weekend after missing Austria’s 2-1 defeat to Norway in midweek.

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Farke says Patrick Bamford needs managing at Leeds this season

Alongside James, Patrick Bamford was the only other absentee against the Tigers as a result of a similar issue to the Welshman.

Bamford missed both wins against Sheffield Wednesday and Hull City, having also been out for the vast majority of pre-season due to the injury he picked up late in the 2023/24 campaign.

But Farke had a fairly positive update to bring on Bamford’s condition in his pre-Burnley press conference, by confirming he is now back in team training.

However, due to the amount of injury problems he has faced over the last couple of years, he is someone who simply has to be managed carefully.

He said: “Patrick is back in team training since Tuesday, today was his third day. Once you’re back you’re also available, but there’s a difference between being available and match fit for 90 minutes.

“He was not in team training for 11 weeks, then back in the later stages of pre-season and then out. We will be careful with him. It’s definitely good he’s back in team training, he will be important this season.”

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Leeds can no longer rely on Bamford

For so long now, Leeds have relied heavily on Bamford for that number nine spot. However, this season is finally different.

Mateo Joseph has started all four of Leeds’ league matches so far this season and has got better and better in each game, scoring his first of the campaign last time out.

Joseph’s emergence has really come at the perfect possible time with Neil Redfearn suggesting Bamford simply cannot be relied upon anymore.

He said: “You need strikers. You can’t rely on Bamford, he’s never fit. That’s a problem. You need a striker equal to Joseph off the bench because there will be times when he runs himself into the ground. Strikers are key.”