Reliable journalist Adam Pope has given an update on the absence of Leeds United player Patrick Bamford in the 3-0 victory against Plymouth Argyle on Saturday afternoon.
Leeds cruise to victory over Plymouth
The Whites hosted a struggling Plymouth side in the Championship knowing that they were strong favourites to prevail at Elland Road. While the league is one of the hardest to predict in Europe, it never felt like being anything other than a home win on Saturday.
Daniel Farke‘s side raced into a 3-0 lead before half-time, effectively putting the game to bed, with Dan James, Joel Piroe and Brenden Aaronson all finding the back of the net. It meant that Leeds were able to be in cruise control during the second half, with the scoreline not changing and the hosts preserving energy ahead of more fixtures during a busy period.
The Whites’ one-sided victory means they sit second in the Championship table and look in a great position to go one better than last season, sealing promotion to the Premier League, hopefully by virtue of finishing in one of the two automatic places.
Sunderland’s 0-0 draw away to Queens Park Rangers also means that Leeds are now only three points behind the current league leaders, so it was a positive afternoon all round for Farke and his players. Bamford was absent from proceedings, however, and a key update has emerged explaining why.
Leeds journalist explains Bamford’s absence vs Plymouth
Writing on X, Pope claimed that “we’re told Bamford is ill today”, adding in a separate post that the Leeds striker “couldn’t train but maybe back for Millwall” on Wednesday evening.
It is good to know that the 31-year-old’s absence wasn’t because of an injury, suggesting that he will overcome his illness and be available for selection again in no time, potentially even for the trip to Millwall in the coming days.
That being said, the £70,000-a-week Bamford has been a spectator for much of this season, seemingly not being rated by Farke as a key player. He has only actually appeared in five Championship matches in total and hasn’t started a single game in the competition in 2024/25 to date. Just 47 minutes of action have come his way in the process, showing that he has barely been a part of the campaign.
The Englishman has undeniable quality that could still be important during a long and taxing season, though, with former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp even once waxing lyrical over him, saying: “He’s an exceptional player, perfect. The work rate is outstanding and still playing the football he plays on top of that and scoring goals, that’s rare.”
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It remains to be seen what the future holds for Bamford, but he is out of contract in the summer of 2026, so next year currently feels like the right time to part ways. That would allow Leeds to receive a fee for him, and let the attacker enjoy more regular player time away from Elland Road.
