Jesse Marsch issues Leeds United striker update for Arsenal, team news and teases December plan

Bamford started against Crystal Palace last Sunday and Marsch felt his striker looked in ‘good physical form’ after a stop-start comeback from last season’s series of injuries.

Leeds were keen to manage the striker’s route to full fitness carefully, but a groin injury in the second game of the season at Southampton kept him out of two games and restricted him to substitute cameos against Everton, Brentford and Aston Villa. He has impressed Marsch in training this week and is progressing towards full fitness.

"He's getting closer and closer to fully being 100 per cent which he knows he hasn't been in some time,” said the head coach.

"He's looked good in training this week. He's part of the solution for us, for sure, in finding ways to score more goals. It's getting him fitter, more up to speed with our tactics and sharper around the goal. We know he's always dangerous.”

Junior Firpo is available for the Arsenal game, according to Marsch.

Firpo had a torrid first season at Leeds United, with injuries and Covid-19 keeping him out of the side for 13 Premier League games. In the summer the left-back was hopeful for a different story in his second campaign, admitting after the first pre-season friendly against Blackpool that it couldn’t go much worse. But a knee injury sustained in that very fixture kept him out of the club’s tour of Australia and the first eight games of the top flight season.

He did make a return, off the bench, in the 0-0 Elland Road draw with Aston Villa, only to miss the very next outing at Crystal Palace with what Marsch described as a minor niggle.

Elsewhere in Marsch’s squad there are a number of issues, including a hernia problem for Adam Forshaw that required surgery and will keep him out for a number of weeks, and Leo Hjelde’s appendectomy.

Archie Gray fractured his big toe when he stubbed it against a door frame at home and Stuart Dallas remains months away from action as he aims to come back from a femoral fracture and a pair of surgeries.

But Marsch is optimistic over their returns and has revealed that Dallas will be part of the club’s training plans for the World Cup break.

"Leo has recovered well from his appendectomy, he was on the pitch today but won't be available for another week or so,” he said.

“Adam is eight days out, feeling better, Archie was on the pitch today, feeling better but not available yet and Stuart is making progress - we're planning on bringing him along with us with whatever we do in December. Hopefully we have an announcement on that soon.

“Everyone else is healthy including Junior Firpo.”

The Under 21s have suffered a bitter blow this week however, with the news that full-back Harvey Sutcliffe has torn his ACL.

“We’re all very disappointed for him,” said Marsch.

"He has been a very good player for the 21s and has flexibility where he can play in the back line. He was initially shocked, he’s done the ACL in the same knee, but he’s doing better now, knows he can come back stronger and we’ll take good care of him.”