Further pre-season scribbles for Fantasy managers now as we look back on three more of Saturday’s friendlies.

This time, attention turns to Leeds United, Sunderland and Tottenham Hotspur.

FPL 2026/27 Pre-season Minutes, Goals + Assists Tracker

LEEDS UNITED 2-0 RB Leipzig

• Goals: Calvert-Lewin, Nmecha
• Assists: Rodon, Gnonto

First-hour Leeds United XI: Cairns, Bogle, Bornauw, Muharemović, Rodon, Justin, Ampadu, Longstaff, James, Calvert-Lewin, Wilson.

Second-hour Leeds United XI: Cairns, Bogle (Gnonto 90), Muharemović (Cresswell 90), Bijol, Justin (Chadwick 90), Lienou, Stach, Tanaka, Wilson (Mills 75), Nmecha, Aaronson.

SCOUT NOTES

• This friendly took place over 120 minutes. Daniel Farke was very keen to say after the match that this 2-0 victory actually counted as two pre-season wins, with a goal scored in each hour!
• The XI sent out in the first hour was the stronger of the two on paper, although you’d expect Sebastiaan Bornauw (£4.5m) and Daniel James (£5.0m) to be benchwarmers come Gameweek 1. Jaka Bijol (£5.0m), who likely takes the place of Bornauw, got his first minutes of pre-season in the second half of this two-hour game, having recovered from injury. Anton Stach (£6.0m), of course, surely gets into the main XI, even though Sean Longstaff (£5.0m) is having a very good pre-season.
• James Trafford (£5.0m) and Noah Okafor (£6.0m) were absent as expected. Trafford only signed late last week, while Okafor had just returned to training after World Cup duty with Switzerland. Also missing was Gabriel Gudmundsson (£4.5m), who picked up a muscle issue in last week’s win over Liverpool. He looks set to miss the start of 2026/27, so James Justin (£4.5m) will be on standby to deputise. However, it sounds like Farke wants reinforcements in the wing-back areas.

“Bad news with Gabby, a muscle injury.

“Initial assessment is that he could be that he will miss the start of the Premier League season. So, at the moment it’s realistic to speak about, overall with his injury, four weeks. First week is now nearly done but it could easily be that he misses the first game, or perhaps the first two games.

“Not great because especially on the wing-back positions, it’s not like we have too many options. So, you could guess a little bit which positions I would like to add [to in the transfer market]!” – Daniel Farke on Gabriel Gudmundsson

• On the other flank, there was the spectacle of Joe Rodon (£4.5m) bombing down the wing – on more than one occasion! While we’re used to seeing wing-back Jayden Bogle (£4.5m) get forward, Bogle would occasionally tuck in on Saturday, allowing Rodon to maraud down the right. It was a tactic that brought Leeds’ opener, with Rodon crossing for Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£6.0m) to convert.
• Fantasy heads have, of course, been turned by another Leeds centre-back this summer: new boy Tarik Muharemovic (£5.0m). The colossal Bosnian was a DefCon machine with Sassuolo, and he was impressive with his duels and interceptions on Saturday. He was also in the mix when Longstaff’s early corner caused commotion. The ball found its way in but the goal was chalked off for a foul.

“Two players who are still young, where we will give the necessary time – but on the other hand also want [them] to deliver as quickly as possible.” – Daniel Farke on Tarik Muharemovic and James Trafford

• Harry Wilson (£6.5m) remains without a pre-season return, and seems to still be getting to grips with his new surroundings. Still, it was sometimes the case at Fulham that he ghosted through games before popping up with a ‘moment’, and he had a decent chance to open his account here when side-footing wide. He should get plenty of opportunities playing off Calvert-Lewin.

“Of course, he has played slightly different for Fulham, and he’s still on the way to adapting a bit to our game.” – Daniel Farke on Harry Wilson

• Substitutes Wilfried Gnonto (£5.0m) and Lukas Nmecha (£5.5m) combined for Leeds’ second goal.

Lens 0-2 SUNDERLAND

• Goals: Hume, Isidor
• Assists: Rigg, Talbi

Sunderland XI: Roefs, Reinildo, O’Nien, Ballard (Seelt 64), Meunier (Talbi 46), Xhaka (Diarra 46), Sadiki, Le Fée (Tutierov 73), Angulo (Rigg 64), Hume, Brobbey (Isidor 64).

SCOUT NOTES

• Granit Xhaka (£5.5m) and Chemsdine Talbi (£5.5m) were in the squad for the first time this pre-season. Both midfielders had delayed returns to training following the FIFA World Cup. Summer signing Thomas Meunier (£4.5m), another international involved in the Americas, also made his first appearance for the Black Cats.
• Dirt-cheap FPL defender Luke O’Nien (£4.0m) started yet again at centre-half. While there’s a good chance he makes the starting XI in Gameweek 1, the medium-term prospects look iffy. Nordi Mukiele (£5.5m), who limped off a week earlier, and Omar Alderete (£5.0m), whose return from World Cup duty has been delayed by a niggle, aren’t too far away.

“They got minor injuries.

“Omar, during the World Cup. Just a bit stiff. So, it’s important to take care of him before a big season and to avoid taking too much risk. Doesn’t make sense.

“Nordi got a minor injury, as well, just at the end of the game against Wrexham. So should be available for the beginning of the season. But it’s the same: we have a long season coming up, so it’s important to take care of them to be safe.

“Both of them should be on the bench against Ipswich [in Gameweek 1], we think.” – Regis Le Bris on Nordi Mukiele + Omar Alderete

• Mukiele is as likely to start at right-back as at centre-half, of course. In his stead, Meunier made his Sunderland debut, with Trai Hume (£4.5m) again further up the right flank. Hume showcased his ‘out of position (OOP)’ appeal by nodding in Sunderland’s opener, having earlier hit the bar with a thumping first-time shot. Hume might have the ‘OOP’ tag but part of his remit is to fill in when Mukiele or, in this case, Meunier gets forward, and the Belgian debutant did advance to find the back of the net with a header – only for the referee to disallow that goal for a push.
• Enzo Le Fee (£6.0m) encouragingly recovered to start, having missed the previous match with a knock. He was again in an advanced midfield role, and would have claimed assists for the two Sunderland efforts that rattled the bar. Bryan Brobbey (£6.0m) followed Hume in striking the woodwork, although the Dutchman was ultimately flagged for offside.
• This was a match of almost complete control from Sunderland, with Robin Roefs (£5.0m) barely muddying his gloves. Substitutes Talbi and Wilson Isidor (£5.5m) combined to score the visitors’ second goal of the afternoon.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 1-1 Getafe

• Goal: Gallagher
• Assist: None

Tottenham Hotspur XI: Kinsky, Gray, van Hecke, Davies, Robertson, Bergvall, Tonali, Gallagher, Moore, Richarlison, Tel.

SCOUT NOTES

• Spurs’ friendly with Getafe was a 70-minute affair, with Roberto De Zerbi giving full-game run-outs to 11 players. There are unconfirmed suggestions that more seniors, such as Marcos Senesi (£6.0m) and Matheus Fernandes (£6.0m), featured in another kickabout against the under-21s later in the day. Dominic Solanke (£6.0m), Destiny Udogie (£4.5m), Micky van de Ven (£5.0m) and James Maddison (£6.5m), as well as the long-term injured and players late back from World Cup duty, all missed out on both games.
• As for the ‘official’ match, which itself was a behind-closed-doors (but televised) affair, it was fairly low-key. Spurs bossed the ball, with Getafe not really having a meaningful opportunity outside of their goal. The game in a nutshell? Jan Paul van Hecke (£5.0m) not making a single defensive contribution but creating two chances, with the Dutchman striding forward and spraying the ball beautifully about the pitch.
• While the Lilywhites have made some eye-catching summer signings, their transfer activity has stalled a bit of late. That, combined with a packed treatment room, has left their attack looking a bit light as we approach Gameweek 1. We’re at the point where Mikey Moore (£5.0m) might be starting on the right, as he did here, against Brentford.
• Mathys Tel (£6.0m) was the pick of a poor front three, with Moore and Richarlison (£6.0m) floundering. Tel produced some dangerous balls in, teeing up a glorious headed chance for the Brazilian and causing mayhem with one corner kick that van Hecke and Richarlison (twice) couldn’t bundle home. Richarlison had a game-high four shots but couldn’t convert any of them.
• Conor Gallagher (£5.5m), operating in the ’10’, was no great shakes either. However, he did stride forward to score Spurs’ only goal, latching onto a loose ball after Richarlison had made a nuisance of himself.
• Andrew Robertson (£4.5m) looks increasingly likely to start the season at left-back, with Udogie short on minutes. He took up some dangerous positions inside of Tel, while he was also on a share of set plays. One whipped free-kick set up a chance that makeshift centre-half Ben Davies (£4.0m) should have buried.
• Getafe’s goal was well worked, albeit with Lucas Bergvall (£5.5m) and van Hecke leaping in naively and opening up space behind them.

MORE TAKEAWAYS FROM THE WEEKEND’S ACTION

• READ MORE: FPL pre-season (Aston Villa, Fulham + Palace) – Gomes good, Garcia debut + Sarr lively
• READ MORE: FPL pre-season (Arsenal + Liverpool) – Tzolis “sharp”, Timber, Saliba + Jacquet injury latest
• READ MORE: FPL pre-season (Bournemouth + Brentford) – Sangare debut, Thiago nets + Bournemouth injuries
• READ MORE: FPL pre-season (Brighton, Everton + Coventry) – Vuskovic bow, Minteh injury + Ndiaye pen doubts
• READ MORE: FPL pre-season (Chelsea + Forest) – Pedro brace, Chelsea wing-backs + Williams lively
• READ MORE: FPL pre-season (Newcastle + Hull) – Wissa brace + first look at Jaissle’s Newcastle