Leeds United will take in the first of two Elland Road pre-season friendlies with Saturday’s visit of RB Leipzig - and this is how we think the Whites will line up.
Saturday’s 2pm kick-off will present United’s first game back after their pre-season tour of the USA where a 3-2 defeat to Wrexham was followed by a 1-0 win against Sunderland and excellent 4-2 comeback success against Liverpool.
The weekend’s visit of Bundesliga side Leipzig will see Leeds step out at Elland Road for the first time in 12 weeks with United’s home faithful having not seen their team play at LS11 since the 1-0 win at home to Brighton on Sunday, May 17.
Plenty has changed since then, not least the arrival of three big summer signings in Harry Wilson, Tarik Muharemovic and James Trafford, the latter unveiled as the club’s new record signing on Thursday evening in a £40m move from Manchester City plus add-ons.
Leeds, though, have seen key men injured of late namely Gabi Gudmundsson and Jaka Bijol with Ilia Gruev still on the comeback trail and there are doubts about another star in Noah Okafor who has only just returned to training.
Saturday’s friendly against Leipzig will be a unique one with the game set to be comprised of two halves of 60 minutes for 120 minutes of football.
That means huge rotation is likely but this is the XI that we think will line up if boss Daniel Farke opts to start strong.
7. CM: Sean Longstaff
Longstaff has definitely been a contender for United's best player of pre-season so far and at this rate that could be rewarded with a place in the first choice XI, as was the case at the start of last season let's not forget. | Getty Images
8. CM/ACM: Anton Stach
There was huge concern when Stach was forced off injured in United's last home game against Brighton but thankfully the injury wasn't serious and the German has made a swift return to action this summer. Another banker to start in a strongest XI and maybe as a more attacking midfielder against Leipzig. | Getty Images
9. LW/ACM: Brenden Aaronson
Aaronson was one of the players to return later than others after his World Cup exploits with the USA but the American made a big impact in his first outing from the bench in the comeback win against Liverpool. Strikes as the sort of player who would be naturally fit and a first start might now present itself against Leipzig with Okafor playing catch up after his even later return. | Getty Images
10. RW/ACM: Harry Wilson
The big money signings of Trafford and Muharemovic look like being excellent pieces of business but let's not forget that Leeds managed to get class act Wilson on a free transfer following his departure from Fulham upon his contract expiring. An outstanding piece of business. Wilson has been quick into his stride in this summer and is another obvious starter in a strongest XI be it wide right or as a no 10. | Getty Images
11. ST: Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Calvert-Lewin suffered as setback at the start of pre-season which prevented him from completing his individual programme ahead of the Wrexham opener but the striker returned to training ahead of the Liverpool game and made a big impact off the bench in the second half as he bagged a brace in his minutes of the summer. It might be that DCL is still a but behind some of the others and that Lukas Nmecha will start but Calvert-Lewin will be keen to build up starts ahead of the new season and might get the nod. | Getty Images