On Wednesday night, Daniel Farke and Leeds United will take a break from their promotion bids when they host Chelsea in the FA Cup fifth round.
Leeds breezed past Peterborough United of League One in the third round to win 3-0 at Weston Homes Stadium, but Plymouth Argyle forced them to make an effort in the final round of this competition. After a 1-1 draw at Elland Road, Farke’s men won 4-1 in the replay, but only after extra time.
The dynamics of this particular encounter are interesting. Leeds’ priority this season will be promotion, but all the pressure is on the Whites, while Mauricio Pochettino and Chelsea simply have to respond after their defeat in Sunday’s 120-minute Carabao Cup final against Liverpool. If the visitors start strongly, the atmosphere could be uncomfortable. Unfortunately, they face some injury problems in the match.
Bamford might miss the game against Chelsea:
Phil Hay of The Athletic, reporting from Farke’s pre-match press conference, says that Patrick Bamford is questionable with new “minor” calf and ankle problems. In addition, Crysencio Summerville may not be available after twisting his ankle.
The manager plans to make a late decision on Dan James, who has a “small bruise”, and Georginio Rutter, who has hip flexor problems. Overall, Farke is dealing with “a few question marks” after last Friday’s win over top-of-the-table rivals Leicester City.
Fresh concern over Patrick Bamford’s injury:
While none of the above problems sound particularly serious, there may still be concern that Bamford will encounter more problems. The Englishman has been in outstanding form recently, scoring six goals and two assists in his last ten games – including a goal against the Foxes.
After that match, Farke pointed to his “dangerous” positional mind, “something you can’t learn”, and hailed it as “a natural conclusion when he is in shape and rhythm”. However, he may now lose that rhythm after he encountered another mistake so soon after having to withdraw from the starting line-up against Swansea.
The 30-year-old was unable to start a game this season until the New Year after injury disrupted the start to the campaign and left him struggling to make up the arrears, so Leeds fans may be worried that he will find himself in trouble again.