Liam Cooper is one of five Leeds United players who will miss Tuesday night’s Championship fixture with Derby through injury.
The defensive powerhouse suffered a dead leg and was substituted during the 2-1 Championship defeat to Sheffield United at Elland Road on Friday.
Manager Thomas Christiansen confirmed at this media conference on Monday afternoon, as quoted by the Yorkshire Evening Post live blog, that Cooper, left-back Cameron Borthwick-Jackson (ankle) and Caleb Ekuban (foot) are all out of the clash against seventh-placed Derby.
The injured trio will be joined on the sidelines by suspended pair Kalvin Phillips and Gaetano Berardi.
Cooper was below par in his 56 minutes on the pitch against United but he has been one of the standout performers for the Whites this season.
OPINION
Of the Leeds quintet unavailable to face Derby, it is Phillips who will be the most sorely missed, not skipper Cooper. Academy product Phillips has been transformed under Christiansen and played easily the best football of his career to deserve his new status as central midfield mainstay. Not only has he kept summer signing Mateusz Klich and Ronaldo Vieira out of the team, but it was Phillips’ excellent early season form that persuaded Leeds to accept Nottingham Forest’s late-window offer for ex-captain Liam Bridcutt.