Huge boost: Leeds now handed big injury lift ahead of Bees, supporters surely buzzing - opinion

Leeds United have been dealt a potentially huge injury boost ahead of their Premier League meeting with Brentford this Sunday.

That’s according to injury analyst Ben Dinnery, who has revealed that Patrick Bamford, who has not featured for Leeds since picking up a foot injury back in March, has a 50% chance of making a return to first-team football in the Whites’ crucial final day trip to west London this weekend.

Speaking ahead of Leeds’ 1-1 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion last Sunday, Jesse Marsch said of the centre-forward’s current condition: “Patrick is a little too early to tell, we’ll evaluate that over the next few days.”

While it is true that, even if Bamford is deemed fit enough to feature against Brentford this weekend, the 28-year-old will be nowhere near full match fitness, the suggestion that there is a chance the England international will be able to play some sort of role against the Bees is sure to have left the Elland Road faithful buzzing.

Indeed, the £18m-rated striker has already proven this season that, even without having kicked a ball for a matter of months previously, he can make a game-changing impact for the Whites, with the £74k-per-week hitman scoring a last-minute equaliser upon his return from an ankle injury against – as fate would have it – Brentford back in December.

As such, if there is indeed a 50% chance of Bamford making the trip to London this weekend, Marsch simply must risk including the 28-year-old in his 20-man matchday squad, as the forward having a similar impact to his last outing against the Bees could well prove to be the difference between Leeds playing Premier League or Championship football next season.

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