Leeds have suffered a double injury blow in their pre-season preparations, with the Premier League curtain-raiser against Manchester United at Old Trafford less than two weeks away.
Marcelo Bielsa, who extended his stay at Leeds over the summer, is notoriously known for his tough off-seasons but has now been dealt a huge blow as they prepare to return to Manchester, having conceded six goals on their last trip to Old Trafford.
Pascal Struijk and Diego Llorente, both central defenders, left their 3-2 defeat to Real Betis with injuries with questions now being asked over their fitness. Liam Cooper, their captain, and first-choice centre-back, is yet to feature for them in pre-season.
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That’s according to the Daily Mail, who speculate that Bielsa’s side could face somewhat of a defensive crisis ahead of the opening Premier League game on August 14.
Meanwhile, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is expecting to welcome back all of his first-team regulars tomorrow, with Jadon Sancho among those believed to be linking up with the rest of the squad.
After having their friendly against Preston postponed, originally planned for Saturday this week, Solskjaer has just one game remaining in this summer’s preparations.
Every Man Utd’s fans will be hoping that we start on a winning note unlike last season’s disastrous occurrence. We must build up an early lead by winning the first 8 games and engender confidence on the tougher fixtures that follow.