Dominic Calvert-Lewin is being put through a "mini-pre-season" to try to get up to speed for a first Leeds United start, but it will not include turning out for the under-21s.
The Sheffield-born England international joined in August having spent the summer training alone after being released by Everton.
He made his debut from the bench at Sheffield Wednesday in the League Cup, where his rustiness showed, and made it harder for him to get the game-time he needs. The former Sheffield United striker missed three chances to win the game, then ballooned his penalty in a shoot-out Leeds failed to score in. Their next cup game will not now be until 2026.
He was a 70th-minute substitute in Saturday's 0-0 Premier League draw with Newcastle United.
Reserve-team football – now billed as under-21 football, but with over-age players allowed – offers a route to match-fitness.
But manager Daniel Farke does not see the value in it for 28-year-old Calvert-Lewin, nor for Ethan Ampadu and Ao Tanaka when they return from medical cruciate knee ligament injuries.
"If you have a player out, with a long-term injury like an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament), then it makes sense to perhaps have one or two games in the Under-21s," explained Farke. "That always helps.
"For younger players I think it’s also important. (Not so) for really proven players in their mid-20s, who are at their best age.
FITNESS WORK: Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Image: Jack Thomas/Getty Images)placeholder image
FITNESS WORK: Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Image: Jack Thomas/Getty Images)
"Dominic has more or less 250 Premier League games, he was not out with a long-term injury. But he has not played football for months and no pre-season with the team.
"So in this case, it makes more sense to get the minutes together with us. It’s not the plan right now to send him to the Under-21s.
"It always makes sense for younger players – or a more experienced player after a long-term injury – to find the confidence and the rhythm for coming back. But not for a player who’s just missing pre-season."
Meanwhile, managing director Robbie Evans has insisted Leeds "maxed out" in signing 10 players this summer, despite missing the proposed loan addition of Fulham's Harry Wilson on Monday, and despite fellow newly-promoted side Sunderland outspending them in the transfer window.
DIFFERENT APPROACHES: Leeds United manager Daniel Farke (Image: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)placeholder image
DIFFERENT APPROACHES: Leeds United manager Daniel Farke (Image: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
The Black Cats spent around £183m upgrading their squad compared to about £100m for Leeds, but profit and sustainability rules are judged over three-year periods.
"Unequivocally, we are maxing out PSR this season, just as last season and the season before,” he said.
“That will be verifiable when the accounts come out. There's no point in trying to lie about that.
"Sunderland has the perfect storm in a good way of creating PSR room between the combination of, as far as I'm aware, little or no operating loss the last two seasons.
CONCUSSION INJURY: Joe Rodon (Image: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)placeholder image
CONCUSSION INJURY: Joe Rodon (Image: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
“Very low wage bill, gets promoted, sells their top talent (Jobe Bellingham) for tens of millions. Now effectively carrying no prior losses and a player-sale profit into the Premier League, where they have a 48,000-person stadium waiting to sell out every game.
“My guess is that Sunderland have the highest so-called cap room in the history of the PSR."
Meanwhile, Joe Rodon has withdrawn from the Wales squad to face Kazakhstan in Thursday's World Cup qualifier due to concussion protocols.