Daniel Farke watched his Leeds United side produce a stunning second-half comeback to beat Liverpool 4-2 at Soldier Field in Chicago on Sunday.
Liverpool looked firmly in control at the break after goals from Luke Chambers and Florian Wirtz gave them a deserved 2-0 lead against a Leeds side that struggled to find any rhythm in the opening 45 minutes.
The game changed completely after the interval. Leeds emerged with far greater intensity and turned the contest on its head, with Brenden Aaronson, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Sean Longstaff among the goalscorers as the Whites stormed to an impressive pre-season victory.
The second-half display will give Farke plenty of encouragement, and with more new signings still expected before the transfer window closes, there are growing reasons for Leeds supporters to feel optimistic about the 2026/27 campaign.
Leeds United receive positive injury news ahead of facing Manchester United next week
Leeds have a few injuries to sort out during pre-season, and a few players are expected to return to action in the coming weeks ahead of the start of the new season.
Ilia Gruev is still recovering from a knee injury he sustained towards the end of last season and is still not ready to return to action.
However, Leeds have some positive news as, according to Graham Smyth, one major player is set to return to training with the rest of the squad soon.
Jaka Bijol picked up a knock during pre-season and has been undergoing rehabilitation over the last couple of weeks. He hasn’t featured in the games against Wrexham, Sunderland and Liverpool.
However, the defender is progressing well in his rehab and is set to return to training with the rest of the squad in the coming days.
It is uncertain whether he will be involved in the friendly against RB Leipzig on Saturday. However, he is likely to be fit to face Manchester United next week.
Bijol was brilliant when Leeds beat Manchester United at Old Trafford last season, and Farke will love to have him back in the team ahead of the big game.
Jaka Bijol progressing well as he rehabs his injury and will hopefully be back in team training soon.#lufc
— Graham Smyth (@GrahamSmyth) August 2, 2026
Leeds United have one major issue after the Liverpool win
Daniel Farke will be encouraged by plenty of what he has seen from Leeds United during their pre-season tour of the United States, particularly after the impressive comeback victory over Liverpool.
However, the win came with one significant concern after Gabriel Gudmundsson was forced off with an injury.
Leeds are expected to assess the defender over the coming days to determine the severity of the problem, but his setback has already highlighted a weakness in the squad. Gudmundsson is currently the only recognised left-back available to Farke ahead of the new season.
The injury is likely to increase the urgency for Leeds to bring in specialist cover at left-back rather than relying on James Justin to fill the role as he did at times last season.
Jayden Lienou is highly rated and has shown plenty of promise, but asking the 18-year-old to serve as Gudmundsson’s only deputy over the course of a demanding Premier League campaign would be a significant gamble.
