Former Leeds United forward Noel Whelan has expressed his unhappiness that Jean-Kevin Augustin is still not ready to start for the Whites.

The talented French striker arrived at Elland Road towards the end of the January transfer window and it arrival was considered a major coup considering he has played for PSG, RB Leipzig and Monaco.

However, the 22-year-old has only made two brief substitute appearances for Leeds since his arrival and will be on the bench again against Bristol City this afternoon as he gets up to the fitness levels Marcelo Bielsa demands.

And, speaking to Football Insider, Whelan revealed that it's not good enough for the Yorkshire side to be in this position with current number nine Patrick Bamford struggling.

"We’ve gone and got a player on loan from Monaco that’s not fit. You don’t have a great deal of choice. The one thing that Marcelo Bielsa said before he signed anybody is that he’s got to be ready to go straight in and play and on this occasion, we’ve gone out and got a striker who’s played three games in eight months.

"He’s not fit, a little bit overweight, he’s going through a pre-season again. We’ll only see him in dribs and drabs until he gets up to speed. Marcelo said that they have to be up to speed. He isn’t, he’s miles off."

The verdict

You can understand Whelan's frustration and it's probably shared by the Leeds United fan base.

In Augustin they have brought in someone who could be the best striker in the league but right now he is unable to make a proper contribution because he isn't ready to play a full game.

So, that's a big problem right now but he will be ready in a few weeks and all will be forgotten if he scores the goals to fire the Whites to promotion.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.