How Jean-Kevin Augustin looked in first Leeds United action, as RB Leipzig striker declares himself 'absolutely ready'

The Frenchman’s decision to come to Elland Road, his snub of interest from Manchester United and his social media skill had endeared him to Whites fans who, en masse, hoped to get a glimpse of their new striker in the two games Leeds have played since his arrival.

But both Tuesday’s visit of Millwall and the home game against Wigan Athletic came and went without any sign of the RB Leipzig loanee.

Instead, Augustin had to wait a full week to pull on a Leeds shirt and run out onto a pitch in search of goals.

It was at Hillsborough, in an Under-23s match, that his first 45 minutes of action came.

But the manner of his exit from the match at half-time, more than anything he did during those 45 minutes, raised the collective heart rate.

Seconds before the half-time whistle, Augustin was involved in the build-up of a Leeds attack and took a heavy knock.

The sight of him writhing in pain on the turf, beckoning the physio to run on and help, was not a sight for sore eyes for the Leeds fans in attendance, watching on LUTV or following events on social media.

The camera apparently didn’t catch his attempt to jog off the pain, or his signal to the referee that he wanted to come back on and even word from the club that he would be fine to train on Tuesday did little to calm fans’ nerves.

Yet even if, as we have been told, he is in fine fettle and in no way, shape or form injured, it is highly unlikely he’ll start at Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

For that to happen, head coach Marcelo Bielsa must be satisfied that his new signing is fit enough to do everything he wants a striker to do and better than the striker he has at present – Patrick Bamford.

It would be a tall order for anyone to convince Bielsa on both fronts in a single 45-minute Under-23s appearance at Hillsborough.

However, the man himself, in the way strikers do, speaks with plenty of confidence about his ability to slot straight in and hit the ground running.

He did his homework on Bielsa and the style with which Leeds play, and liked what he saw.

“[We] looked at videos and images of Leeds playing so I could see the style in which Leeds are comfortable on the ball, they like to have a lot of possession and they also press really high when they’re out of possession,” he said.

“But occasionally, they can play the ball long – all those facets of Leeds’ game, myself and my agent, we thought they suited my style of play and that I would fit in quite nicely.

“I think I’m pretty quick – I like to think of myself that I’m quite fast, fairly mobile.

“I’m comfortable running in behind for longer balls, just as comfortable as I am dropping deep to pick the ball up.

“I think I’m quite good at finding space.”

It was playing long that almost got the best of Augustin in Monday’s game.

In a peculiar moment, he trotted back to speak with centre-half Charlie Cresswell, who was in position to receive a goal-kick from goalkeeper Illan Meslier. The content of the discussion became clear within seconds, as Cresswell got hold of the ball, looked up to see Augustin making a blindside run behind his marker and played the ball over the top.

Augustin showed his pace, reached the ball long before a defender and uncorked a hard shot from an acute angle, Joe Wildsmith tipping it around the post.

On first view, the 22-year-old looks like a player who likes to dart in behind.

But he also dropped deep to play his part in the build up of attacks – which earned him a clattering – and showed his strength by shrugging off two challenges in a bullocking run down the centre.

It was always, apparently, Bielsa’s plan to withdraw the former PSG forward at the break.

What that means for the probability of a first-team debut on Saturday is anyone’s guess.

Augustin, for his part, is raring to go and waiting for the call.

“I wanted to go somewhere that I was going to play, that I was going to get minutes and I would have clear aims and objectives for the end of the season, which I thought Leeds were definitely offering me,” he said. “I mean, fitness-wise, physically, I feel ready, I feel absolutely ready, 100 per cent fit in that sense.

“But it always takes that time to settle in to a new team and a new group of players.

“So I think that it’s down to the coach really – I’m ready to play, but I also understand if the coach takes the decision that maybe, slowly but surely [he] brings me on for a few minutes to try and adapt to the intensity.”