Patrick Bamford admitted he and the Leeds United players were planning to play the full 90 minutes in Friday’s 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace but had to alter plans last minute. The Whites striker played the opening 45 minutes before sitting on the bench as Rodrigo’s second-half penalty was cancelled out by Jean Phillipe Mateta.
The game was disjointed for the most part as the turf of the Optus Stadium struggled to hold up under pressure and ill-judged challenges littered the match. The Australian brandished several yellow cards to both sides, including Jesse Marsch for dissent.
But Bamford admitted after the match that the plan was to progress from Sunday’s defeat to Aston Villa by keeping the majority of the starting lineup on for the full 90.
