Chris Wood will score 20 goals a season when fit, says Steve Evans

MANAGER Steve Evans has backed Chris Wood to net 20 plus goals for Leeds United next season.
Leeds United's Chris Wood (Picture: Bruce Rollinson).Leeds United's Chris Wood (Picture: Bruce Rollinson).
Leeds United's Chris Wood (Picture: Bruce Rollinson).

The 24-year-old Kiwi has scored just nine times since his £3m arrival last summer from Leicester City.

Two lengthy absences through injury have hampered Wood, who missed two gilt-edged opportunities in last weekend’s defeat at Burnley.

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Evans, however, has praised the rehab work that the striker has put in to recover from the hamstring problems that have dogged his season and believes Leeds will see the best of Wood next term.

Chris Wood in your team and him available for selection changes the mechanics,” said Evans. “Just as it does for Burnley. If you took (Sam) Vokes and (Andre) Gray out of the team, they have got a problem.

“If you take the strikers out of that Brighton team they will have a problem. And if you take the strikers out of the Hull team, the Derby team, the Middlesbrough team – they will have problems.

“We have had more games without Chris then we have had with him so there goes a big advantage that we have when he is available.”

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Asked if Wood could bag 20 plus goals for Leeds next season, Evans insisted: “Yes, without a shadow.

“And I think he would have been on 15 or 16 already if he had not been out as long as he had.

“Now – and he takes all the credit for this along with the fitness team – he has got himself in incredible shape, as good as it can get really.

“In that shape, he will get 20 goals.”

United, meanwhile, have failed in their appeal against the red card shown to Alex Mowatt in Tuesday night’s 2-1 victory at Birmingham City.

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The Academy graduate was dismissed in stoppage time by referee Chris Kavanagh for a heavy tackle on Ryan Shotton. Leeds appealed, but yesterday the Football Association ruled the original decision by Kavanagh stood. Mowatt will miss back-to-back home games against Reading and Wolverhampton Wanderers plus the April 23 trip to Hull City, much to the disappointment of Evans. “

“Maybe some would argue a yellow card but not a red,” added the Scot.

Mowatt’s appeal being rejected means Leeds have not overturned a red card in nine years, Alan Thompson’s dismissal at Southampton in the relegation season being the last time United were successful.