Leeds United have been making their final preparations for Sunday’s visit of Arsenal to Elland Road with some timely boosts on the training ground.
The Whites released their weekly training video from Thorp Arch today and these are some of the key bits we picked up from the short clip.
Shackleton’s still about
Head coach Marcelo Bielsa ruled Jamie Shackleton out of Sunday’s match with Arsenal, but it’s clear the issue he picked up before the Crystal Palace clash is not too serious.
The academy graduate is spotted in the corridors with his team-mates in his trainer and training kit. He’s not incapacitated and on crutches or the like.
Rodrigo and Phillips are back
As Bielsa would later confirm in his press conference, Kalvin Phillips and Rodrigo provided sights for sore eyes as they returned to the fold at Thorp Arch.
Phillips has been nursing a shoulder problem since the loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers while Rodrigo missed the last two through COVID-19.
Greenwood bedding in
It’s no surprise to see several of the under-23 faces mixing with the first team, but it was intriguing to see the effort Sam Greenwood went to before heading out onto the pitches.
The former Arsenal youth bumped fists with both Patrick Bamford and Rodrigo in the corridor before heading out.
The teenager, who has been scoring freely with the under-23s, is evidently crossing that divide to the senior squad and bonding with those directly in his path to the first team.
Under-23s called up
Bielsa said he had incorporated young players into his senior unit during the international break with so many of his regulars away with their countries.
Of those spotted, we had Cody Drameh, Niall Huggins, Jack Jenkins and Nohan Kenneh all mixing with the main group alongside Greenwood.
Alioski back early
There were reports from North Macedonia Alioski had picked up an injury on international duty, though Bielsa did not mention him in Friday’s press conference.
The training video shows Alioski was back before some of his fellow international call-ups. Time will tell whether the injury keeps him out.
Robin Koch, Liam Cooper, Tyler Roberts, Stuart Dallas and Mateusz Klich were the internationals not spotted in the video the club put out.
