Leeds United are now into their third day of pre-season with fitness work the primary focus of the week.
The Whites posted some behind-the-scenes footage of day one on Tuesday evening and there were certainly some interesting storylines to take from it.
Despite not having been away on international duty last month, Diego Llorente was the most notable absentee as speculation over a move to Real Betis continues to grow.
Charlie Cresswell was also back at Thorp Arch just a matter of hours after deciding against a move to Toulouse, while Ethan Ampadu, Dan James and Junior Firpo were also in attendance despite their international commitments in June.
It was also nice to see the likes of Crysencio Summerville, Willy Gnonto and Georginio Rutter in good spirits despite mounting transfer interest elsewhere.
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Leeds share winners of 2024 pre-season bleep test
Ever since his introduction into the first team under Marcelo Bielsa, Jamie Shackleton has become renowned among the fanbase for winning the bleep test every summer.
However, with Shackleton on the verge of joining Sheffield United at the end of his contract, this year’s has brought some surprising results.
As per the club’s YouTube video, the squad were split into three separate groups, with Cresswell, Joe Gelhardt, Sam Greenwood, Mateo Joseph and James Debayo in number one.
To set the tone for the rest of his defensive teammates, it was Cresswell who came out on top as he looks to show Daniel Farke how hard he has been working in the off-season, in case he does stay.
Group two then consisted of a few more senior players, with Sam Byram the man to come out on top ahead of Ampadu, James, Firpo, Ilia Gruev, Georginio Rutter and Glen Kamara.
The final group was much smaller as Pascal Struijk, Crysencio Summerville, Willy Gnonto and Joel Piroe all went head-to-head.
Despite not having kicked a ball since Boxing Day, Struijk was the winner of this one, showing how hard he has worked to maintain his fitness levels since undergoing surgery.
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Pascal Struijk could be biggest winner of pre-season
Struijk’s presence in the team became somewhat underrated in the second half of the season when Leeds went on that run of 12 wins in 13 matches.
But as Leeds fell apart towards the end, it became apparent just how much Ampadu was missed in midfield, and how crucial Struijk actually is.
Leeds failed to score from a single corner during the five months he spent on the sidelines. His progressive passing from the back is also a key part of the team.
With his base fitness clearly there, the four friendlies in which Leeds are set to play should allow him to restore his match fitness and hit the ground running for Portsmouth.
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