Stuart Dallas gave Leeds United fans a lift after making a surprise appearance on the Yorkshire club’s Twitter account prior to Sunday’s 6-2 friendly win over Cagliari.
The Northern Ireland midfielder is currently sidelined after suffering a horrific leg break in a Premier League defeat to Manchester City at Elland Road in April.
Dallas, who was stretchered off in agony following a challenge on Jack Grealish, is in the midst of a lengthy rehab after undergoing surgery on a fractured femur.
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But the popular 31-year-old was all smiles when he bumped into team mates while making a surprise appearance in the tunnel area before Sunday’s pre-season game with the Serie B club.
Leeds defender Robin Koch also had the 62-times capped Northern Ireland international chuckling when he asked: “Stu, you’re doing the warm-up, yeah?”
The tweet prompted one Leeds fan to reply with the phrase "Stu-perman" while another added: "Things I love to see!!!"
Susan Smith 1 tweeted: "Great to see his leg brace off", while Danny Wright wrote: "Some man is Stu Dallas."
Afterwards Leeds boss Jesse Marsch confirmed that Dallas remains a long-term absentee heading into the new Premier League campaign which kicks off at home to Wolves on Saturday.
Liam Cooper (achilles), summer signing Luis Sinisterra (hamstring), Adam Forshaw (knee), Luke Ayling (back) and Junior Firpo also missed the Cagliari friendly.
But most if not all of them are closing in on a quickfire return to first team action.
Marsch said: “Liam will hopefully be on the pitch tomorrow. Sinisterra is probably a week from being on the pitch and 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.”
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