Safety concerns raised for Australian pitch Leeds United will play Manchester United on

Safety concerns have been raised about the pitch Leeds United will face Manchester United on in Australia next month.

Perth’s Optus Stadium will host the July 17 clash between the English clubs during their Australian pre-season tours, but the surface there has its detractors.

National Rugby League (NRL), Australia’s top-level domestic rugby league competition, has reportedly demanded an urgent report into the hardness of the Optus pitch.

A spate of lower leg injuries to Australian Football League (AFL) players, including those to players who train at the stadium, has prompted the review.

Fremantle Dockers and West Coast Eagles, two AFL teams who train there, have suspended their sessions at Optus Stadium at one time or another in light of the injury issues.

This week, NRL head of football Graham Annesley called for an urgent report from Optus Stadium ground staff amid fears players in an upcoming match would be put at risk.

“We’ve been in contact with the stadium management and asked for a copy of their turf management plan,” Mr Annesley said.

“We will assess it and then make a decision about what needs to happen. We’ve asked for hardness measures, grass lengths, everything.

“It’s obviously a concern and we might have to send our own experts over later this week.”

Optus Stadium chief executive Mike McKenna said he was not surprised the NRL was considering sending its own pitch experts given long-running speculation about the safety of the surface.

Mr McKenna said he had “no concerns about what they will find”.

“I acknowledge clubs believe they have an unusual number of lower leg injuries, but I do notice there are an awful lot of injuries across the AFL,” Mr McKenna said. “There is nothing to specifically link those injuries to the surface.”

Manchester Evening News yesterday reported the Red Devils do not currently have any concerns about the pitch after sending their own inspectors.

After playing the Old Trafford club on July 17, the Whites travel to Sydney to play Western Sydney Wanderers on July 20.