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<\/p>\nWe begin our weekend pre-season friendly round-up with three winless contests involving Premier League clubs.<\/p>\n
There are updates to report on \u00a34.0m picks from Leeds United and Burnley, while Fulham lost a two-hour-long kickabout with Sheffield United.<\/p>\n
LEEDS UNITED 1-1 VILLARREAL<\/p>\n
INJURY UPDATES ON PERRI, BOGLE AND MORE<\/p>\n
Last weekend\u2019s signing of Lucas Perri<\/strong> (\u00a34.5m) seemed to sound the death knell<\/a> for Karl Darlow<\/strong> (\u00a34.0m) as an FPL pick.<\/p>\n But in Saturday\u2019s friendly with Villarreal, the new Leeds \u2018keeper was nowhere to be seen.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t get too excited, though, Darlow fans, as Perri shouldn\u2019t be sidelined for too long.<\/p>\n \u201cLucas Perri is building his fitness. Lucas needs a bit of time in training. We\u2019re convinced he\u2019ll be a perfect addition for our squad.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m pretty sure if there\u2019s no setback he definitely has a chance. If we can involve him for the Milan game, it would be good.\u201d \u2013 Daniel Farke, via the Yorkshire Post<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Also missing this penultimate friendly were last season\u2019s six-goal defender Jayden Bogle<\/strong> (\u00a34.5m) and wingers Daniel James<\/strong> (\u00a35.5m) and Jack Harrison<\/strong> (\u00a35.5m).<\/p>\n \u201cDaniel James had a slight problem during the week and we didn\u2019t want to risk him.<\/p>\n \u201cJack\u2026 is right now struggling with a few adductor problems, has had a scan and we wait for that outcome. We hope it\u2019s just a few days that he will miss and hope to have him available, hopefully for the Milan game.\u201d \u2013 Daniel Farke, via Leeds Live<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a hip flexor, and that\u2019s a bit of a concern if I\u2019m honest, because I am not sure if I have him available for our game against AC Milan. I hope to have him available for our last week of pre-season because he\u2019s an important player for us.\u201d \u2013 Daniel Farke on Jayden Bogle, via Leeds LIve<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n FOURTH PRE-SEASON GOAL FOR PIROE<\/p>\n Wilfriend Gnonto<\/strong> (\u00a35.5m) and, in an unusual right-wing role, Brendan Aaronson<\/strong> (\u00a35.5m) instead started on the flanks in the absence of James and Harrison.<\/p>\n Aaronson was surprisingly decent on the right. It was from his cross, miscleared by the visitors, that Joel Piroe<\/strong> (\u00a35.5m) pounced to score.<\/p>\n There are still reservations about Piroe\u2019s wider game, no more so than from some sections of the Leeds support. Not physical enough, not quick enough, not good enough to lead the line in the Premier League \u2013 so say the critics. Yet still he keeps popping up with poacher\u2019s goals. This was his fourth of the summer and came after he replaced positional rival Lukas Nmecha<\/strong> (\u00a35.0m) at half-time.<\/p>\n Leeds may yet sign someone who is an upgrade on Piroe \u2013 check out Farke\u2019s quote below on the front three in general \u2013 but until then, he\u2019s doing his utmost to make that Gameweek 1 line-up.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it was also obvious to see that we need to do something in the offence, there\u2019s no doubt about this.\u201d \u2013 Daniel Farke<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Leeds in general struggled to create too much, but they were up against a side in next season\u2019s UEFA Champions League.<\/p>\n Anton Stach<\/strong> (\u00a35.0m) did impress in the middle of the park. The central midfielder, who has the potential to rack up the defensive contribution points<\/a>, also whipped a cross-shot free-kick narrowly wide on the cusp of half-time.<\/p>\n The contribution of Bogle\u2019s stand-in, Issac Schmidt<\/strong> (\u00a34.0m), was less positive. Other than him (Bogle will come back in if fit), the defence that started against Villarreal will likely do so against Everton.<\/p>\n Leeds United XI:\u00a0<\/strong>Darlow (Meslier 46), Schmidt (Byram 63), Rodon, Struijk (Bijol 46), Gudmundsson, Ampadu, Longstaff (Gruev 46), Stach (Tanaka 63), Gnonto (Ramazani 63), Nmecha (Piroe 46), Aaronson (Gray 81).\u00a0<\/p>\n STOKE CITY 1-0 BURNLEY Not ideal preparations all round for Burnley this weekend. As well as succumbing to a 1-0 defeat to Championship side Stoke City, they had a second friendly pulled late on due to the off-the-field issues of scheduled opponents Sheffield Wednesday.<\/p>\n In the end, the squad members who didn\u2019t feature in the Stoke game had to content themselves with an in-house kickabout. Little information has emerged from that.<\/p>\n \u201cWe had a game planned today against Sheffield Wednesday which didn\u2019t take place and we were going to split the squads.<\/p>\n \u201cI just felt the best way to go was an in-house game with two strong-ish teams at the training ground, which I was at this morning, which went really, really well. We then came here [to Stoke] with a bit more of a flat squad with a lot of young players.<\/p>\n \u201cThe positive at the end of today, yes we\u2019re disappointed we lost, but the positives are that the majority of the squad \u2013 which is very bloated, like we know \u2013 has got a number of minutes under their belt. A majority got 90 and that puts us in good stead.\u201d \u2013 Scott Parker, via Burnley Express<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n BRUUN LARSEN \u2018OOP\u2019, DEFENCE FIRST<\/p>\n The side that took to the field at the bet365stadium looked Gameweek 1-ish. There are obvious voids to fill in the transfer market, particularly up front, where \u2018out of position\u2019 midfielder Jacob Bruun Larsen<\/strong> (\u00a35.5m) was looking quite forlorn. Armando Broja<\/strong> is reportedly on his way<\/a> to plug that gap, with last year\u2019s line-leader Zian Flemming<\/strong> (\u00a35.5m) still sidelined<\/a>. Another striking option, Lyle Foster<\/strong> (\u00a35.0m), was involved in the day\u2019s earlier game.<\/p>\n Josh Cullen<\/strong> (\u00a35.0m), who was on corner-taking duty, also needs a midfield partner with Josh Brownhill<\/strong> gone. Josh Laurent<\/strong> (\u00a35.0m), sent off here on the hour, is probably not that man.<\/p>\n The Clarets laboured in attack, with Jaidon Anthony<\/strong> (\u00a35.5m) wasteful, but it was better at the back. That was pretty much the story of last season<\/a>, too.<\/p>\n Hjalmar Ekdal<\/strong> (\u00a34.0m) appears to be at the front of the queue to be Maxime Esteve<\/strong>\u2018s (\u00a34.0m) partner at centre-half. The Swede, loaned out last season, nearly scored from a corner.<\/p>\n Pick of the bunch though were the two full-backs, with Kyle Walker<\/strong> (\u00a34.5m) a class apart, even at 35, and Quilindschy Hartman<\/strong> (\u00a34.0m) getting forward plenty from left-back.<\/p>\n Burnley XI:<\/strong>\u00a0Wei\u00df, Walker (Blackie 77), Ekdal, Esteve, Hartman, Cullen (Veevers 83), Laurent, Hannibal, Anthony, Bruun Larsen (Westley 77), Edwards.<\/p>\n FULHAM 2-3 SHEFFIELD UNITED While most other clubs are throwing open their doors to the watching public, Fulham are still keeping things hush-hush.<\/p>\n The Cottagers were involved in a 120-minute-long game against Sheffield United on Saturday, which played out at their Motspur Park training ground.<\/p>\n\n
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CANCELLED FRIENDLY<\/p>\n\n
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