Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan has expressed his frustration at the latest setback for on-loan striker Jean-Kevin Augustin, worrying that the Whites may not be able to fully utilise him before the end of his loan.
With Leeds looking desperately for a new striker in the January transfer window to help add goals to an attack sorely lacking in that department, they eventually landed on the loan signing of French youth international Jean-Kevin Augustin from RB Leipzig.
Having struggled for game-time whilst on loan at AS Monaco, Augustin came into Marcelo Bielsa’s squad looking to build up his fitness and match-sharpness before being thrust into first-team action, meaning he is yet to make a start for Leeds and has only played a total of 64 minutes across three appearances.
He was dealt another setback in his quest to force Patrick Bamford out of the starting lineup this week as it was revealed after the Middlesbrough win that he wasn’t named in the squad due to a ‘minor hamstring injury’, which will keep him out for at least the Hull City game on Saturday and potentially further, cementing Bamford’s starting berth even more.
Speaking to Football Insider, Noel Whelan outlined his concern over his lack of fitness and the fact that we are yet to see him start a league game for Leeds. He had this to say on the 22-year-old’s struggles: “I said when he came in he wasn’t fit, he looked overweight and he’d only played three games in eight months – I had in the back of my mind that if you push him too hard, he’d have more chance of getting injured than getting fit.
“That just proves the point, he’s got a hamstring injury, he was out of the game against Middlesbrough, he’s going to be out of the game against Hull and I very much doubt it is going to be a one-weeker, probably two to three.
“I’m worried we’re not going to get enough from him this season, I do wonder why they’ve gone into the market, that’s not fully fit, not ready to hit the ground running.
“If he was fully fit, he’d be giving a bit more competition to Patrick Bamford. Right now we’re back to the same situation, it’s like we’ve not brought any players in.”
Augustin now faces a battle to be fit for the Huddersfield Town game and beyond to give Leeds more threat in attack to push towards automatic promotion.
Can you take on this Leeds left-foot/right-foot challenge?
The verdict
It is becoming a very frustrating situation for Leeds as they have brought in a striker of a very high calibre that is not able to have an impact.
He wasn’t their first choice in January and his lack of fitness outlines that, but the lack of any impact whatsoever outlines how questionable this situation has become.
If Bamford was firing on all cylinders for Leeds then there wouldn’t be as much pressure on Augustin to get up to speed, but that isn’t the case.
It does look like Bamford will remain the first choice for the foreseeable future and while his all-round play is admirable, Leeds need goals, and fast.