Patrick Bamford ruptured his plantar fascia in the 3-2 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, leaving him bereft on the bench after his enforced substitution during the first half. The 28-year-old has struggled with the problem located in the sole of his foot for 12 months, according to Leeds United's Head of Medicine and Performance, Rob Price. However, the issue has now developed into a full rupture as opposed to the partial tear Bamford had been managing.
As a result, he will be sidelined for a minimum of six weeks, casting doubt on whether his 2021/22 campaign is all but over. Bamford is not expected to play any part in Leeds' next five matches, leaving only a handful of fixtures where he may be available. Youngster Sam Greenwood was Bamford's replacement at Molineux eleven days ago, thrust into the action by Jesse Marsch as soon as it became apparent Bamford could no longer carry on.
The 20-year-old has only made five appearances for the Whites, but remains one of the U23 squad's more reliable players. Typically deployed in a supporting forward role for the development side, Greenwood was sent on at centre-forward in Bamford's place - a more natural posting given his exploits at previous clubs and with England's youth international sides.
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Ordinarily, 19-year-old Joe Gelhardt would have been the first pick from the bench but a troublesome back injury meant the striker would have been unable to see out the remaining 70-or-so minutes when Bamford pulled up. Greenwood seized the opportunity and provided an assist for Rodrigo's equaliser on the night, playing his part in a famous Premier League comeback.
Given Marsch's preferred 4-2-2-2 formation tends to utilise two centre-forwards as opposed to one, the opportunity for youngsters such as Gelhardt and Greenwood to finally earn regular Premier League minutes has never been more apparent. Despite sharing a close relationship off the pitch, the duo were locked in a goalscoring battle last season as the U23s secured the Premier League 2 Division 2 title.
Gelhardt netted 12 times, while Greenwood scored 13. This season, their tallies are similar, although Gelhardt has not featured at U23 level since before the turn of the year. Both players have shown signs of development over the past 12 months therefore with Bamford's repeated injury setbacks, Marsch's penchant for two forwards and the American not showing any reluctance to utilise the youngsters within his squad, the home straight of this Premier League campaign could see one - or both - accumulate serious minutes.
While Marsch may be cursing his luck that the club's only recognised, senior centre-forward is ruled out for the foreseeable future - a problem Marcelo Bielsa became all too familiar with - the progress made by Gelhardt and Greenwood in recent months can serve as consolation that all is not lost.
