Leeds United are due to return to pre-season training on July 2, just five weeks before their Championship season opener against Cardiff City. It’s a shorter pre-season campaign than usual and the new manager will have plenty to cram in to make sure his side is ready for the road ahead.
The squad are expected to undergo a series of tests on the first day of training, as has happened in years gone by, before eventually heading out onto the field for their first sessions of pre-season. Presuming he’s appointed in time, it will be the new head coach’s first chance to see his squad on the Thorp Arch grass and he’ll no doubt be keen to make his mark quickly.
He has a handful of tasks to handle immediately after his appointment, but there are a few issues to contend with, too. Here’s a look at the problems facing him on day one of pre-season.
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No senior goalkeepers
Due to international commitments, Leeds will begin pre-season without a recognised senior goalkeeper in the squad. Illan Meslier, whose future remains uncertain, is currently away with France Under-21s at the U21 European Championships and that means he’ll be given an extended break before being expected back at Thorp Arch.
The same can be said for Kristoffer Klaesson, who is currently with the Norway U21 squad. Norway’s chances of progressing to the knockout stages look slim at present, with one group stage game against Italy to play, but the goalkeeper is still expected to miss the first few days of pre-season at least.
Leeds did release Joel Robles with an invitation to return for pre-season training, but there are no guarantees on that front and it means Dani van den Heuvel, who has recently turned 20, could be the only goalkeeper at Thorp Arch during the first week of training. That’s far from ideal by anyone’s standards.
Midfield holes
Leeds will be expecting a few midfielders to report for duty on July 2, but it’s fair to say they won’t be flushed with established middle of the park options in training. Marc Roca is currently down to turn up, but that depends on if a move emerges for him in the next few days.
Tyler Adams’ injury status is unknown after missing the last two and a half months of the Whites’ Premier League campaign with a hamstring problem, but if he’s fit he will be on the list to train, too. The American has been linked with a heap of top flight clubs, though, and it’s looking increasingly unlikely that he will by plying his trade in the Championship next season.
United will welcome Sam Greenwood and Jamie Shackleton back to Thorp Arch, while Darko Gyabi, Archie Gray and Lewis Bate will train with the first team, too. For the new manager, though, that lack of midfield faces will only accentuate the importance of adding to their ranks before that Cardiff City fixture on August 6.
There is the possibility that Adam Forshaw returns for training given he was given a similar offer to Robles upon his release, and that would certainly help.
A helping hand
Whoever Leeds hand the reins to, they will need the support of a backroom team. Michael Skubala is the only outfield first-team coach at the club at present and while he is certainly more than capable, more help is needed to give the new main man the best chance of hitting the ground running and getting his message across effectively.
Marcos Abad has goalkeeping duties boxed off, but the head coach will need an assistant and perhaps another trusted face or two to make up his coaching team. It is hoped those appointments can be made swiftly, especially with so much work to get through in such little time.
Transfer questions
While the above issues throw up challenges, it is hard to ignore the sheer amount of uncertainty around Elland Road at present from a transfer perspective. The Whites are expected to be proactive in the window and signings will be made, but there has been some sort of speculation surrounding a majority of the individuals within the squad.
As such, it’s hard to make definitive plans for the season ahead while there are so many questions to answer. The likes of Adams, Jack Harrison, Roca, Crysencio Summerville, Wilfried Gnonto, Robin Koch, Rodrigo and Junior Firpo have been heavily linked away and while Leeds will be keen to keep hold of most, such transfer talk is certainly more of a hindrance than a help.
The head coach is expected to be in regular dialogue with the likes of Nick Hammond, Angus Kinnear and Paraag Marathe and he’ll be keen to get clarity on the situation as soon as possible regarding the club’s stance on such high profile players leaving. The potential for the transfer issue to drag into late August won’t help either.
