Leeds United finished the January transfer window with no senior additions, despite the ongoing injury crisis befalling the club.
The Whites have been without Kalvin Phillips, Liam Cooper and Patrick Bamford for large swathes of the 2021/22 campaign, while others such as Pascal Struijk, Robin Koch, Rodrigo Moreno and Adam Forshaw have suffered repeated or unexpectedly prolonged absences.
At times, the situation has been especially testing - particularly for supporters with fears of 'second season syndrome' and a return to the Championship.
Currently, Leeds are separated from the drop by seven points, a healthy margin considering teams currently occupying the bottom three spaces in the Premier League table have struggled consistently.
The likelihood of a Leeds relegation is slim given the teams below them, but there is palpable concern that those who have strengthened, including Everton, Newcastle United and Burnley, now possess much stronger squads.
For Leeds, the squad remains threadbare; partly due to Marcelo Bielsa's preference and partly due to ongoing injury issues.
March is the projected return date for Kalvin Phillips and Liam Cooper, while Sam Greenwood's knee problem which required surgery is also expected to keep him out for several more weeks.
However, Adam Forshaw and perhaps even Patrick Bamford could return for the visit to Aston Villa in eight days' time.
Forshaw has made pains to stress his availability across various platforms since going off with a hamstring complaint against West Ham United last month.
Meanwhile, Jack Harrison told LeedsLive at a charity event last week that Patrick Bamford was on the comeback trail.
Although, Bamford's eventual return has been forecasted several times already in 2022, which is yet to materialise. The England striker has suffered setbacks and fresh injuries in his bid to make a first start for the club since September.
Leeds' reluctance to sign new players in January has been a hotly-debated topic.
On one hand, the faith Bielsa has shown in his wounded bunch is admirable, but the club's decision not to supplement the squad even with a single new player during one of the worst injury crises a Premier League side has ever faced, is somewhat perplexing.
It does heap pressure upon the shoulders of Bamford when he makes his eventual return, but also onto young Joe Gelhardt, and the supporting cast of Rodrigo and Tyler Roberts who continue to divide terrace opinion.
The reception Gelhardt received when summoned from the bench during the second half of Leeds' win over Burnley was unusual for a player whose tally of Premier League minutes is just over 300.
On top of that, the swell which enveloped Elland Road as 30,000 beckoned his introduction against Newcastle weeks later, is indicative of a fanbase who have invested their hopes into a teenager, for lack of alternative options.
When Bamford returns, there will be an expectation that he must hit the ground running, particularly if Leeds' relegation rivals find form and hit their stride, buoyed by fresh additions.
After more than four months without a competitive start, it would be unrealistic to expect Bamford's impact to be instant.
New signings often shoulder supporter expectation an unfair degree. But in Leeds' case this month, a new addition would have at least eased the burden felt by the already thin squad - particularly those responsible for finding goals.
If the gap between the Whites and 18th place shrinks any further, the remaining available attackers could be placed into a rather uncomfortable spot through little fault of their own.
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