Leeds United welcome back forward at Thorp Arch as Farke trusts stars with days off before Portsmouth trip — YEP 7/3/25
By Graham Smyth
Daniel Farke has offered a team news update ahead of Leeds
United’s trip to Portsmouth on Sunday
Leeds United boss Daniel Farke has welcomed another forward
option back at Thorp Arch this week as he prepares the Whites for a trip to
Portsmouth.
Patrick Bamford has sat out the last 10 games with a
hamstring problem he picked up in a late substitute cameo against Blackburn
Rovers on New Year's Day. The striker has struggled for gametime this season
and is yet to start a game for Leeds in the Championship, earning just 123
minutes of league action. This week he played some part in training alongside
his team-mates but will not be ready for a return to the matchday squad just
yet.
"Good news is more or less that everyone who was
available for the last game is also available for the upcoming games as it
stands," said Farke. "All were able to recover from a few little hits
and knocks. Good news with Patrick Bamford, he was part-integrated into team
training this week. He was out for nine or nine and a half weeks, it'll be a
while before he's back to full fitness and a topic for the games but he was
able to handle the load and is making progress."
Farke's other two injury absentees are club captain Ethan
Ampadu and fellow defender Max Wober, both of whom have suffered from knee
problems. Ampadu is undergoing conservative treatment rather than surgery,
while Wober had to go under the knife in February. The duo are due back after
the international break in March but Farke is still not able to guarantee
Ampadu's return, with surgery still a possibility.
"The rehab of Ethan and Max is working well, we're
still hopeful of having them on the other side of the international
break," said the German. "There's a chance at some point after
they'll be available at least for a number of games. With Max it's more or less
pretty clear it will work out. With Ethan there's still a possibility he'll
need surgery but at the moment it looks good."
Leeds United players get time off
Farke gave his squad a couple of days off at the start of
the week after not only a hectic period but the emotional highs that came with
late wins over Sunderland and Sheffield United.
"Sometimes it is necessary, you need also to let them
have a day off instead of always pushing, pushing, pushing," he said.
"I am mindful that they use days off in a sensible way, that they don’t
travel 24 hours to somewhere with a different climate. They are mature adults
and don’t need me to look after them like in a nursery, it is important for
them to be themselves.