Jesse Marsch provides injury update on five Leeds United first team stars after Cagliari win

Speaking after a 6-2 friendly win over Cagliari that completed the pre-season friendly schedule, Marsch was upbeat on the injury situation at Thorp Arch.

He was without six of his senior stars for the Elland Road game, including captain Liam Cooper who has struggled all summer with an Achilles issue he picked up on a treadmill in the off-season.

Cooper travelled on the club’s pre-season trip to Australia but didn’t play a single minute and spent his time rehabbing in gyms.

He was joined in the treatment room by £21m summer signing Luis Sinisterra who hurt his hamstring against Crystal Palace in Perth and Adam Forshaw who appeared to tweak his knee in the same game.

Luke Ayling has been recovering from an operation at the back end of last season, while Junior Firpo picked up a problem against Blackpool earlier in pre-season and Dallas remains the club’s only long-term injury absentee.

“So Liam will hopefully be on the pitch tomorrow,” said Marsch.

“Sinisterra is probably a week from being on the pitch, Firpo is probably two weeks from being on the pitch. I think Adam is a week from being on the pitch. Luke is probably two weeks from being on the pitch. So we're not at full strength but in two, three weeks, we will be close to that. With the only exception being Stuart Dallas.”

Leeds triumphed over the Serie B side on Sunday night thanks to a Rodrigo hat-trick, two goals from Patrick Bamford and Robin Koch's late header from a free-kick.

Brenden Aaronson ended the game with three assists while Marsch gave 90 minutes to every player who started the game.

Joe Gelhardt, Sam Greenwood, Crysencio Summerville, Leo Hjelde, Darko Gyabi, Cody Drameh and Archie Gray all featured in a behind-closed-doors friendly defeat by Manchester City on Saturday.

"All the guys, the full 11 yesterday played 90 and the full 11 today played 90 minutes," said Marsch.

"We feel like most of them have come out of it with little little things but nothing, no injuries. So we have 22 players that I think are fit and ready to push for the season start."