The knee injury sustained by Davide Somma might stretch a shopping list which, to Grayson’s mind and those of Leeds United’s supporters, is long enough already.
Only one Championship team outscored Leeds last season but with Somma’s ligament damage confirmed and Luciano Becchio beset by a weak hamstring, the club are in the strange position of asking where goals will come from in the weeks ahead.
Ross McCormack and Billy Paynter are hopeful answers but Leeds’ victory at Motherwell passed without a moment to lift the pair’s spirits. It was left instead to Ramon Nunez to make Grayson smile after 24 unfunny hours.
Coming on the back of what he called a “slow summer” of few transfers, the loss of Somma to a torn anterior cruciate ligament was a stab in Grayson’s back.
United’s manager berated Somma’s rash decision to post the results of his scan on Twitter but was more upset to see a striker worth 12 goals last season pulled from his grasp.
In his and Becchio’s absence on Saturday, McCormack missed a penalty and Paynter missed the easiest of chances from six yards, denying either player a valuable injection of confidence.
But the exhibition of technical skill through which Nunez produced the winning goal gave Grayson the impression that his complex job could yet be helped from within.
Nunez is the definition of unproven for all but those of Honduran descent but the strengths he possesses will not be hidden for any longer. His skillful dance through a bewildered Motherwell defence in the 75th minute at Fir Park settled United’s second friendly of the summer and a match they deserved to win.
“That’s a classy goal in any game,” said Grayson in admiration.
The finish was reminiscent of Robert Snodgrass’ moment of genius at Bristol City last season, relying on exceptional footwork, fine balance and enough composure to out-manoeuvre a handful of opposition players.
A friendly it might have been but Nunez’s punch of the air was heartfelt and a watershed moment for a footballer who, to many in Leeds, remains a mystery.
Alex Bruce had given Leeds the scent of a win eight minutes earlier when Darren Randolph – the holder of Motherwell’s clean-sheet record – dropped a Max Gradel corner at the feet of Bruce.
Randolph’s only mitigation was the torrential rain which drenched Fir Park but Stuart McCall, Motherwell’s competitive manager, would have cursed him angrily had Saturday’s game mattered in any way.
Bruce reacted instinctively to the fumble, stabbing the ball into an empty net and propelling Leeds towards the end of a tour which was not without its moments.
For the second time in four days, injuries made an unhelpful dent in Grayson’s squad at Fir Park. Somma, Becchio and Andy O’Brien were confirmed absentees by Friday, and Federico Bessone’s calf strain was too questionable for him to play.
On account of a loose Tweet from Somma, it is apparent that at least one of those players will be unavailable when the season starts.
Without all four, Grayson had no choice but to ask as much of his fit players as he did at Falkirk, perhaps against his wishes. Five players saw out an hour against Motherwell and McCormack completed the entire game, a shift that is scarcely in the pre-season textbook midway through July.
If Grayson’s situation was riddled with complications they did not tell on the pitch. Leeds trailed after 45 minutes to a goal created in the blink of an eye but the deficit failed to disguise Motherwell’s lethargy or the patient fluency shown by United.
An hour’s drive south of Falkirk, the performance in Motherwell was miles apart and Nunez and Alex Bruce turned the scoreline on its head midway though the second half.
Grayson had two strikers available, Paynter and McCormack, but – through either necessity or tactical experimentation – he fell back on the system employed for much of last season. Paynter acted as a lone forward with McCormack to his left and Lloyd Sam to his right. Faced by that formation, Motherwell were an unflattering reflection of a team seven days away from the start of their domestic season.
Until Jamie Murphy beat Paul Rachubka with a sliding finish in the 39th minute, the pace of the match was forced by Leeds. Paynter had enough time and space to score after three minutes and McCormack saw a penalty saved shortly before Murphy struck. As players whose moods would benefit from a prolific summer, those cheap misses were rare moments of regret.
McCormack talked Adam Clayton into leaving the penalty in his care after Sam slipped between Nicky Law and Stephen Craigan and lured both players into obstructing him inside the box.
The 35th-minute award was debatable, though referee Willie Collum knew the fall-out from it would be negligible.
McCormack prevented any further discussion by striking the ball without conviction and giving goalkeeper Darren Randolph the chance to intervene with his left hand.
Paynter’s clearest opportunity in the opening stages was arguably easier, delivered generously by Paul Connolly’s cross from the right wing. Caught in two minds with Clayton arriving in the six-yard box, Paynter side-footed the ball across Randolph and away from his left-hand post.
Motherwell had the occasional moment and Steven Hammell shook a post after Law’s return pass left him with only Paul Rachubka to beat.
Randolph’s save from McCormack was the most telling of the half, however, and Murphy took advantage of it after Chris Humphrey lost Aidan White and swung a cross within reach of the forward. Murphy’s shot at full-stretch whipped into the corner of Rachubka’s net.
The first half as a whole was competent enough to make it a difficult act to follow. Grayson held off from sweeping changes at the interval and allowed the game to flow for more than 50 minutes.
Michael Brown’s eventual exit, following that of the tidy Clayton, instilled a sense of abandon, and an exchange of chances followed.
Rachubka denied Murphy with his legs and Randolph met a downward header from Tom Lees before it could loop under his crossbar. Bruce might also have scored from close range.
He was less forgiving after Randolph spilled Gradel’s corner and only a two-handed parry denied the centre-back the distinction of scoring twice in the same game.
But when Nunez danced through the left side of McCall’s defence, Randolph was as hapless as the players in front of him. High in the stands, Glynn Snodin raised his thumb to Grayson, implying that both men had seen that moment coming.
Motherwell: Randolph, Hateley (McHugh 88), Hutchinson, Craigan, Hammell, Humphrey, Jennings, Lasley, Law, Higdon (Smith 75), Murphy (Saunders 88). Subs not used: Hollis, Page, Lawless, Halsman, Forbes.
Leeds United: Rachubka (Cairns 85), Connolly (L Turner 74), Kisnorbo (Lees 66), Bromby (Bruce 46), White (Parker 46), Clayton (Snodgrass 46), Brown (Thompson 51), Howson (N Turner 66), Sam (Gradel 46), Paynter (Nunez 62), McCormack.
Referee: Willie Collum
Attendance: 4,798 (1,913 Leeds)