'Shouldn't have played' - Daniel Farke faces Catch-22 Leeds United injury situation ahead of play-off campaign

Leeds have chambered and will attempt to discharge their 'second bullet' at promotion starting this weekend against the Canaries, but may yet be without important attacking options Daniel James and Bamford.

The latter has extensive experience in the play-offs, making no fewer than seven appearances in the end-of-season competition, separate to the Championship's regular campaign. Bamford has represented three different clubs in the second tier play-offs, including Leeds during their ill-fated attempt at promotion in 2018/19.

In each of his previous run-outs, the striker has found himself on the losing side at either the semi-final or final stage; Leeds and Bamford are of course hopeful things will go a little differently to last time.

During no campaign did Bamford play a more important role than in 2014/15 with Middlesbrough. After being crowned Championship Player of the Year, the then-21-year-old forward played 90 minutes during their opening leg victory over Brentford. The striker sat out the second leg against the Bees, though, still suffering with the tail end of an ankle knock, but was risked in the final against Norwich, which the Teessiders subsequently lost.

Dom Shaw, football writer and Boro correspondent for The Northern Echo, recalls the events leading up to and including Boro's failed attempt at promotion that year, during which much of the discourse surrounded Bamford's availability and efficacy.

"He’d obviously been a massive player that season for Boro, on loan from Chelsea. Boro had tapped into that link through [Aitor] Karanka and [Jose] Mourinho. Bamford had won Championship Player of the Year, but injured his ankle late in the season, ironically enough against Norwich in a 1-0 win.

"He featured in the weeks that followed but clearly wasn’t fit and wasn’t involved in the semi-final second leg win vs Brentford.

"Karanka played him in the final rather than Kike, his other striker option, but Bamford clearly wasn’t fit and hobbled about looking very uncomfortable.

"Bamford hardly got a kick and shouldn’t have played - but he was so crucial that season," Shaw adds.

The 30-year-old's availability - or lack, thereof - has been a topic of discussion in recent weeks, particularly with Leeds' profligacy in front of goal. He knows what it's like to hobble to the play-off start line, rather than hitting them at full-tilt and the latter is the sort of striker Leeds need. United have scored in just three of their last six matches, while Bamford's own form had been patchy prior to injuring his knee in the 4-3 win at Middlesbrough late last month.

Since then, the experienced head in Farke's dressing room has been unable to feature, even in training according to his manager last week, with the bruise sustained after colliding with a goalpost at the Riverside Stadium proving especially troublesome. Bamford missed out on the matchday squad in each of Leeds' two must-win league games to finish the season but travelled with the squad to Loftus Road for Leeds' penultimate fixture against Queens Park Rangers.

Alighting the team coach that evening, Bamford did so gingerly, appearing to still be feeling the affects of the bruise suffered four days earlier. At Elland Road a week later, the striker took his place in the stand, not involved with the squad as potential play-off final opponents Southampton won 2-1.

At Farke's pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon, the manager will be asked to brief the media and supporters on Bamford's condition, as well as that of Wales international James who tore abdominal muscles in the win over Boro, such is the interest in the pair's condition. Between them, they have netted 21 times for Leeds this season.

United's play-off narrative could follow a similar pattern to Middlesbrough's nine seasons ago, if questions remain over Bamford's ability to play in all three fixtures, should Leeds make it to the final at Wembley.

Does Farke risk a player not at 100 per cent in a do-or-die play-off contest? Should he stick with the ill-fitting Joel Piroe at No. 9, persevere with an out-of-sorts Georginio Rutter or thrust largely untested youngster Mateo Joseph into the play-off maelstrom?

There is little debate Bamford's form at the beginning of 2024 makes him the most sensible fit to lead the line - and crucially, Leeds' press out of possession - during their play-off campaign, but if not fully fit do Leeds run an unnecessary risk, given the options, of repeating Aitor Karanka's decision?

As with any selection conundrum but even more pronounced considering what's at stake, the outcome is likely to decide whether the reward of fielding Bamford outweighs the risk given he has been here before, in a season where he was just as, if not more so, instrumental during crucial periods.

Important during the campaign, but not at full fitness for the finale was the story of Bamford's previous experience going deep in the play-offs, which sounds an awful lot like Leeds' current predicament in the centre-forward position given his injury. With Bamford expected to return to a match-ready-but-not-100-per-cent state this weekend, it's Catch-22 for Leeds' No. 9.