Daniel Farke waiting in wings as Leeds United face pre-season return without a manager

The Whites look set to be one of three Yorkshire clubs to kick off their pre-season without a “permanent” manager after Sheffield Wednesday players returned for training on Friday, and Barnsley made plans for first team coach Martin Devaney to take temporary charge of Saturday's pre-season friendly at Worksop Town.

Farke is believed to be the preferred choice, with Patrick Vieira now expected to take over at French club RC Strasbourg.

But Leeds would prefer to hold off making an appointment until 49ers Enterprises are officially given permission to take over the club by the Football League.

The American investors have agreed to buy the club from Andrea Radrizzani but are still undergoing the League's vigorous vetting process for prospective owners and directors which involves not just examining their means and history, but also their future business plans.

As Championship counterparts Huddersfield Town showed recently, an appointment can be made without waiting for that, but it would have to be approved by Radrizzani, now owner of Serie B Sampdoria.

Farke is expected to bring assistant Edmund Riemer, first-team coach Christopher John and head of performance Chris Domogalla with him. All three worked alongside the German at Norwich City, Krasnodar and Borussia Monchengladbach.

Vieira was thought to be in consideration and at one point tipped as the favourite to replace Sam Allardyce but Farke's experience of winning the Championship twice with Norwich appears to have tilted things in his favour as Leeds look to bounce back from relegation from the Premier League.

The Sunday start of pre-season for all but those whose 2022-23 was extended by international football is something of a red herring, with the first day back all about fitness work. Tuesday is when the coaching is expected to start, and Leeds will need someone in charge, if only temporarily, by then.

Vieira is now expected to join Strasbourg, managerless following a takeover led by Chelsea owner Todd Boehly which saw Frederic Antonetti dismissed.

Former Owls centre-back Dean Smith is considered the favourite to replace Darren Moore as manager, although there have been reports in Italy of talks with veteran coach Giuseppe Iachini.

Barnsley have been back in training since Wednesday.

Wednesday, Barnsley and Leeds finished their seasons on the final weekend of May. Their competitive programmes resume on August 4, 5 and 6 in that order.