Richard Naylor could miss the start of Leeds' season after undergoing a back operation.

The 32-year-old, who stepped into the role of captain after an injury to Frazer Richardson, will now be recovering for the next six weeks.

Naylor will miss all of United's pre-season games and manager Simon Grayson told the club's website that the news is a "massive disappointment".

Grayson said: "It's a blow because he's going to be out for the next six weeks or so which means he could miss the start of the season. It might not be that long, but it could be."

"It's a massive disappointment, he was a massive player for us last season. He was an inspiration on and off the pitch and he's disappointed.

"But we'd prefer him to miss six weeks of pre-season rather than the main season when he could break down."