Leeds United hopeful Tyler Roberts will be fit for Liverpool opener despite his Wales withdrawal

Tyler Roberts is not expected to miss Leeds United's first Premier League game for 16 years despite being withdrawn from Wales's Nations League squad.
WITHDRAWAL: Tyler Roberts's absence from the Wales squad is only thought to be precautionaryWITHDRAWAL: Tyler Roberts's absence from the Wales squad is only thought to be precautionary
WITHDRAWAL: Tyler Roberts's absence from the Wales squad is only thought to be precautionary

The 21-year-old midfielder/forward was called up for the games against Finland and Bulgaria, but has pulled out as a precaution.

Ryan Giggs will also be without Ashley Williams and the injured Aaron Ramsey and David Brooks for the matches on Thursday and Sunday.

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But it is understood to be an attempt to manage Roberts, rather than cause for concern that he will miss Leeds's opening-day fixture at Liverpool a week on Saturday.

A fit Roberts could be particularly important in the early weeks of the season, whilst the attacking players added in the transfer window bed in.

The Whites have signed Spain centre-forward Rodrigo from Valencia, but whether Marcelo Bielsa will want to throw him in against the champions remains to be seen. The talents of the club's new record signing are undoubted, but Bielsa usually likes his players to take time to learn his idiosyncratic methods – January signing Ian Poveda did not make his debut until after the coronavirus lockdown in June – and Rodrigo has been called up by Spain for games against Germany and Ukraine.

The only consolation for Leeds is that the second of Spain's games is on Sunday – England, by contrast, do not complete their fixtures until Tuesday - giving him more time at Thorp Arch ahead of the evening kick-off at Anfield.

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Newly-promoted Leeds also signed Joe Gelhardt from Wigan Athletic and Sam Greenwood from Arsenal this summer, but the former was not a regular starter in last season's Championship, the latter is yet to play senior football, so it would be unrealistic to expect too much too soon from either 18-year-old.

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