By Joe Ellis

1st Dec, 2022 | 7:40pm

Leeds United could play third friendly before Premier League return

Leeds United could schedule a third first-team friendly in the coming days before the Premier League returns, according to Leeds Live.

With Jesse Marsch’s senior squad set to train in Spain prior to the restart after Christmas, they are already penned in to face La Liga duo Real Sociedad and Elche on Spanish soil.

The American coach is keen to experiment while he has the chance to do so without consequences and he has an almost full quota available to him.

Only Tyler Adams and Brenden Aaronson remain in the World Cup while Rasmus Kristensen won’t be a part of the squad having been knocked out with Denmark.

The identity of this mystery third friendly opponent is still unknown but it is unlikely to be another Spanish outfit with limited time in the country before they need to return to Thorp Arch.

Overworked

In theory, more matches mean more fitness but too many can prove to be a problem further down the line and Marsch needs to have an eye on the future, not just the here and now.

There are a lot of games still to play this season and when it comes to the final three or four matches, Marsch will need every one of his Leeds United players to be at the peak of their powers.

If they end up playing too much in this down period while the World Cup goes on in Qatar then they could easily end up being fatigued come to the run-in.

Luckily, there are a lot of potential first-team candidates at Thorp Arch so if they all end up in Spain, Marsch can afford to rotate them all so nobody plays all three matches unnecessarily.

There might also be a new system he wants to try and he needs to see if his players can grasp the concepts he is trying to put across to them in a non-pressure environment.

In other Leeds United news, it has been a mixed couple of days in Qatar for Leeds players and this man was hauled off at half-time in his game.