'I'm pretty sure' - Sam Byram on Leeds United pre-season in Germany and Whites squad boost hope

Leeds will play their first pre-season friendly in front of fans through this evening’s clash at League Two side Harrogate Town, after which Daniel Farke’s Whites will be heading to Germany for a training camp. As well as training, Farke’s side will take in pre-season friendlies played behind closed doors, details of which have not been disclosed as fans are urged not to travel.

As the countdown continues to the new Championship season, Whites full-back Byram feels the time away in Germany will provide his squad with an opportunity to “gel” ahead of the season opener against Portsmouth at Elland Road on Saturday, August 10. Having also experienced pre-seasons under Farke at Norwich City, Byram believes he has a good idea of what will be in store for United’s players.

The full-back says he was relishing the return to pre-season after the summer break, and hopes that the shorter gap between the play-off final and resumption of training might work as a Whites squad boost. Speaking to LUTV, Byram was asked about only having five weeks off and whether that meant less time to become unfit.

"No and I probably prefer that,” admitted the full-back. “It's less time for your muscles and everything to sort of decrease. It's five weeks and we shouldn't have lost much fitness so hopefully there's not too much to get back.

"It's not been too long since we've gone our separate ways so we've picked up where we've left off. Obviously, we've lost some faces, and I'm sure we'll get new players in along the way. It's a great group with great chemistry and it's so important for the Championship over a long season to build that. I'm sure we'll have that again this year."

Pressed on another pre-season for him under Whites boss Farke – and the forthcoming trip to Germany – Byram reasoned: “I'm pretty sure it's the same place that I've been in the past. So I know the layout. I know what to expect.

"In the past, we've played against some tough German teams, and they always give you a good game and in between that lots of training and lots of fitness. So I think nine or ten days away, it's a good time to gel even more as a group as well. Pre-season is important, the trips and that kind of thing so I know what to expect and I'm looking forward to that as well."