Leeds United name 30-man United States tour squad as Noah Okafor misses out | OneFootball

Leeds United have named a 30-man United States tour squad, but Noah Okafor is not travelling.

According to Leeds Live, players who reached the World Cup’s latter stages are entitled to 21 days off, and Switzerland’s quarter-final run rules Okafor out.

Ao Tanaka, Gabriel Gudmundsson and Brenden Aaronson will link up at stages, with Gudmundsson due Wednesday and Aaronson Monday. New signing Tarik Muharemovic is expected later this week.

Senior loanees from last season, including Largie Ramazani and Joe Gelhardt, are omitted. Jack Harrison is not travelling despite Fiorentina declining to trigger the £6 million option, and Max Wober is also left out.

Mateo Joseph continues cruciate ligament rehab at Thorp Arch. Sam Byram remains in renewal talks without agreement, and his absence could signal where his future lies.

First summer signing Harry Wilson is on the plane, and Ilia Gruev returns after a meniscus knee injury as planned. Eight academy players travel, led by Wales call-up Jayden Lienou, who signed a new three-year deal on Tuesday.

Also in are midfielders Alfie Cresswell, Callum Mills, Oliver Pickles and Rhys Chadwick, goalkeepers Rory Mahady and Darryl Ombang, and right-back Freddie Lane. The volume of youngsters highlights a need to bolster after departures of Pascal Struijk, Karl Darlow, Illan Meslier and Isaac Schmidt.

Pre-season squad numbers are not final. Leeds face Wrexham in Florida this weekend, Sunderland in New Jersey on June 30 and Liverpool in Chicago on August 2.

Source: Leeds Live