Leeds United return to Elland Road to face Villarreal in a pre-season friendly today.
Leeds United return to Elland Road today for the club’s penultimate pre-season friendly against La Liga side Villarreal.
Daniel Farke’s Whites were back in the country at the start of the week following their pre-season training camp in Germany which also featured two behind-closed-doors friendlies against SC Verl and SC Paderborn which featured no fans.
Both games produced Leeds victories, Farke’s Whites recording a 4-1 win against third tier hosts SC Verl and then a 3-2 triumph against second tier hosts SC Paderborn. It means Farke’s side remain unbeaten in pre-season having begun their summer friendlies with a goalless draw against Manchester United in Stockholm.
Three weeks on from the victory against the Red Devils, United’s fans now finally get the chance to see their side on home turf with this afternoon’s visit of a Villarreal side who finished last season’s La Liga campaign in fifth place - qualifying for the Champions League in the process.
Today’s match marks United’s penultimate friendly of the summer, falling one week before next weekend’s final warm-up game against AC Milan in Dublin ahead of the Premier League opener itself at home to Everton on Monday, August 18.
Here, upon landing at Elland Road, we will bring you all of the pre-match build-up to today’s visit of Villarreal followed by in-game updates and analysis before post-match reaction.
In the meantime, here is the early Leeds team news and predicted Whites line-up for the 3pm kick-off at LS11.
Leeds team news
Summer signing Sebastiaan Bornauw suffered a quad injury in United’s first session in Germany and played no part in either of his new side’s two behind-closed-doors friendly there. It remains to be seen if he returns against Villarreal.
Isaac Schmidt also did not feature in Germany as he works his way back from a calf injury whilst young striker Mateo Joseph has informed Leeds that he wants a transfer and is keen on a move back to Spain.
Patrick Bamford, meanwhile, has been informed by boss Daniel Farke that he is not part of his Premier League plans.
New Whites keeper Lucas Perri, the club’s seventh signing of the summer, is in line to make his debut today whilst Jack Harrison appears likely to make his Elland Road return having featured very prominently so far this summer following two seasons on loan with Everton.
Predicted Leeds line up: Perri; Bogle, Rodon, Bijol, Gudmundsson; Ampadu, Stach, Longstaff; James, Harrison, Piroe.
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