Exclusive: Sky Sports pundit drops claim on Miles Leaburn's situation at Charlton Athletic | OneFootball

Charlton Athletic tied the striker down to a new contract this summer

Charlton Athletic have enjoyed a promising start to life back in the Championship.

The Addicks picked up four points from their first two games, before succumbing to defeats against Leicester City and Queens Park Rangers and have looked to be a capable second-tier outfit during those encounters.

Nathan Jones and Co. completed some impressive deals in the recent summer window, recruiting the likes of Charlie Kelman, James Bree and Joe Rankin-Costello from fellow Championship sides.

Another big coup for Charlton was keeping Miles Leaburn at the Valley.

Premier League contenders Chelsea and Brentford have been linked with a move for the young striker in the past, but he recently penned a new deal to keep him with the Addicks until 2028.

Standing at 6ft 7in, the forward enjoys a physical presence matched by few throughout the Championship, so he is an extremely useful weapon inside of Jones’ arsenal.

The 21-year-old has struggled immensely with injuries in the past, which led to some supporters questioning whether he had developed enough to tackle the Championship.

However, when speaking exclusively to Football League World, Sky Sports pundit and former Aston Villa midfielder, Lee Hendrie, believes that Leaburn can be a massively important operator for Charlton this season.

Lee Hendrie backs Miles Leaburn to put injury woes behind him amid Championship challenge

“Miles Leaburn has struggled with injuries and big injuries at that,” stated Hendrie. “But he's definitely got the quality to really shine and be a big player for Charlton.

“He's had to really, really take his time to get himself back into the frame, work hard to get himself fit, strong and available. That's important because a lot of these younger players want to get back quickly and that's where they're hampered, and they end up having massive setbacks.

“I think he's realised that he's got to get himself right, which he has done. I think that they won't want to get rid of him at all. They need to keep hold of him because I think his physicality is a goal threat.

“He's a very good player and hopefully he's got over his injuries, where now he can really prove himself.”

Miles Leaburn is an extremely important asset for Nathan Jones and Charlton Athletic

During the opening stages of the 2025/26 Championship campaign, Jones has experimented with his frontline and is still yet to solidify what is preferred strike force looks like.

The season began with Kelman entrusted with the No.9 role, starting during both the Addicks’ victory over Watford and draw against Bristol City.

However, following a sparkling performance by Leaburn versus Stevenage in the EFL Cup, where the 21-year-old scored and provided a goal, he was handed Kelman’s place in the starting 11 for the league defeats against Leicester City and QPR.

Given that Charlton forked out a sizeable fee for Kelman’s services, which could rise to £5 million in the future, selecting Leaburn ahead of him proves how much trust Jones has in the young forward.

It’s likely that the Addicks’ boss will rotate between the two centre-forwards throughout the campaign to manage fitness, as 46 games of Championship football can usually take its toll on a player’s body.

There will be extra caution invested in Leaburn’s case, as his previous injury woes will be something Charlton hope they can avoid a repeat of throughout the 2025/26 campaign.