A fit and healthy Jean-Kevin Augustin could be key for Leeds United

Bought in amid major fanfare towards the end of the January transfer window, the Leipzig loanee managed to get just 50 minutes of competitive football under his belt in three brief substitute appearances in the Championship before a hamstring injury stymied his progress in late February.

Rather than feel sorry for himself, the Parisian has done the hard yards in his rehabilitation work and made the best of a bad situation in taking advantage of football’s coronavirus shutdown to get himself in pristine condition for when the action returns.

The prospect of a fully-fit Augustin in the season run-in will represent a mouth-watering one for Leeds fans as they hanker to see the 22-year-old at his best.

It is something that is also exciting his team-mates.

Dallas said: “He’s been on a different programme because he’s obviously coming back from injury. He’s putting in the work and we need him firing as well.

“We need him playing to his potential and if we can get that, it’ll help us massively.

“Everyone is fit and we’ve got a good backroom team. The sports science guys give us everything we need and then it’s down to ourselves how much you want it.”

Among their achievements in a stirring renaissance over the past two seasons, Leeds’s reputation as quick starters precedes them.

It is something that they will be striving to replicate when football emerges from its covid-19 hiatus.

So far in 2019-20, Marcelo Bielsa’s side have also shown eye-catching consistency in winning all three games immediately after international breaks, but their biggest test is yet to arrive following unprecedented times in the national game.

“When you look back at how we started the last couple of seasons, we’ve started really well,” Dallas added.

“If we start back as well as that, we’ll be in a good position. I’m sure other teams are doing the same, keeping on top of it.

“I don’t know how long we’ll have once we go back, before the season starts or if it starts,” he said.

“We’re keeping as fit as we can, so when we get back training, it’ll be all ball work.”