Leeds United have just 11 days to prepare for the new Premier League season with one friendly left for Jesse Marsch to explore the options at his disposal. After five friendlies, including one behind closed doors, there are still vital minutes to be put into legs before Wolverhampton Wanderers roll into town.
The obvious names lagging behind everyone else have had injury problems to contend with. Stuart Dallas and Luke Ayling were accounted for before the summer started, while Junior Firpo and Liam Cooper have picked up issues since they returned for pre-season.
The left-back is unlikely to be in contention for several more weeks, but if the captain’s Achilles problem is as close to recovery as Marsch says, Cooper may have a chance for this weekend. Cagliari will be the Scotland international’s last chance for game time, but even with 45 minutes to an hour on Sunday, he will be undercooked going into the competitive action.
