Patience will be required as Patrick Bamford continues to make his return to full match sharpness. That’s the message from Leeds United boss Jesse Marsch, who brought the striker into the side to make just his third Premier League start of the season last Sunday.
Bamford had his moments in the 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, spurning a great chance in the first half during the Whites’ period of dominance. However, there was plenty of rust in his performance, too, and his race looked visibly run by the time he was replaced by Crysencio Summerville in the 62nd minute.
The start was Bamford’s first since picking up a groin injury in the draw with Southampton back in August, making just three substitute appearances in between. The England international missed a majority of last season as he suffered with a series of troublesome issues and that left him approaching this campaign in a determined frame of mood to get his career back on track.
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Supporters haven’t seen the best of the 29-year-old this time around, that is for certain, but he needs more minutes under his belt in order to hit top form once more and Marsch has stressed the importance of time.
“So I thought, first of all, that Patrick's clearly physically in good form,” Marsch said when asked about Bamford’s performance on Sunday in south London. “So that's a big bonus and then we just need to keep getting him fully game fit and fully ready and sharp.
“But in general I thought he was okay. I think on a day where he's a little bit sharper and fitter, you find the goal and I think he can be part of the solution moving forward to even more.”
Despite the return of Luis Sinisterra from suspension, Bamford is expected to keep his spot in the starting line-up this weekend when Arsenal make the journey to Elland Road. He’ll have his work cut out against one of the top flight’s strongest back lines, but the forward will know a first senior goal of the campaign would go a long way towards helping the Whites snap their five-game winless run.
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