Leeds United fans will wait with bated breath for the latest on Patrick Bamford’s chances for Fulham when Marcelo Bielsa faces the media on Wednesday.
The Whites head coach has stepped away from the transparency of naming his entire line-up 48 hours before a match in recent months, but is honest about players’ chances when he can be.
‘Player X’s return is subject to the evolution of their injury’ is the party line we tend to get from Bielsa when he genuinely cannot be sure about an absentee’s comeback.
Already this month, we have seen no commitment from Bielsa on Kalvin Phillips’s chances of returning at West Ham United three days before he then completed a full 90 minutes.
Pascal Struijk was ruled out for the Chelsea game, but Bielsa did caveat that prognosis with an admission it was an injury he could play with if needed. And so it was when Liam Cooper pulled out with sickness.
The silver lining United fans will be clinging onto before hearing from Bielsa will be the way Bamford first reacted to the injury.
Rather than an explosion in a joint or the ping of a torn muscle, Bamford did not immediately feel he had to go off or go down. It was a knock he legitimately believed he could run off.
Sadly, the pain failed to subside, but after first going down in his own box for treatment, again, Bamford felt he was able to continue for long enough to allow Rodrigo to prepare.
While the Spain international was getting ready in the north-west corner of the pitch, Bamford continued to hobble around, nursing whatever his issue was.
Again, fans will hope that reaction from Bamford is a good omen. It was not a devastating issue Bamford felt unable to put any weight through. He was even still trying to jog, not just walk.
It is hoped Bielsa will put the record straight at Wednesday lunchtime.
