All of Leeds United’s substitutes had an impact in last weekend’s Preston North End comeback and that influence will continue to be needed. This was Daniel Farke’s response when he was asked if he needs to get Patrick Bamford sharper for starts after Saturday’s cameo.

The number nine was thrown on in the 65th minute of Saturday’s game and given his longest spell on the pitch this season. Bamford memorably missed a chance which was rated at 0.98 in expected goals, but his all-round play did ask fresh questions of the home backline.

The England international is yet to start this season and has a grand total of 55 minutes from the bench since November 6. While Joel Piroe and Mateo Joseph remain hit and miss with their starts, Bamford becomes a more appealing option, but Farke was keen to spread focus across all the weekend’s substitutes.

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“It’s beneficial for him that he is, since several weeks or so, back in team training and works on his fitness level, sharpness and a fit Patrick Bamford is always a good option,” he said. “In general, all the players from the bench had a really decent impact and I like this a lot.

“Mateo was sharp. He was just 10 or 15 minutes on the pitch, but he forced the goalkeeper to be there with a good save. Also, he forced then this own goal with a good move on the first post. Pretty good impact.

“Manor Solomon, for me, probably his best 20, 25 minutes in the last weeks. He was sharp, had good decisions, also played a major role in order to score the equaliser because he carried the ball, won his offensive duels, brought the ball then to Daniel James and he was in there with another good assist for this own goal.

“Patrick looked alive. He had a great chance. Was a bit unlucky to to miss it, but all the players who came from the bench looked sharp in this game. This is what we need, that we chip in with goals from players from the bench.”

Wilfried Gnonto’s winning goal at Swansea City and Daniel James’s strike from the bench against Luton Town were flagged as further examples by the manager. He just wishes he could count the own goal as Joseph’s.

“We've chipped in with several goals already and, like I mentioned in the press conference, I nearly count this goal also as Mateo’s goal because he forced this own goal,” he said. “Again, it's good we know we can also change the base formation.

“We can change, a bit, our approach. We can adapt also to different scenarios and also can bring players in who change the games. We had, a lot, this effect in the last games with Willy, who came in away at Swansea and scored an important goal.

“Or with DJ also the other night. It's good we have this and we need this. All the players are important and sometimes the players who were just 19 minutes or just nine minutes on the pitch, have the same importance as the players who start.

“We have this attitude and we want to influence the games further on also in this way.”