Liam Cooper’s return from injury only lasted 65 minutes before he was substituted off in Leeds United’s Under-23s win against Hull, according to Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Joe Urquhart.
The reporter claimed via his personal Twitter account on Monday night that Cooper, 27, had to have ice on his knee once he was taken off, but it seemed as though it was just a precaution taken as the centre-back continues his recovery to full fitness.
https://twitter.com/JoeUrquhartYEP/status/1082375043022286849
Cooper has not played a first team game for the Whites since December 1 and they are certainly suffering from his absence lately, with three defeats on the bounce in all competitions.
It is potentially worrying that the centre-back’s knee injury may not have completely healed.
OPINION
Hopefully it is nothing more than just a precaution, because Leeds need Cooper back in the starting line-up as soon as possible. Marcelo Bielsa has seen his side’s form drop off a cliff in recent weeks, and that is mainly because of their poor defence. Kalvin Phillips has slotted in alongside Pontus Jansson while Cooper has been out, and while Phillips is a good player, he is a far cry from being a centre-back. The Whites have conceded 10 goals in their last four Championship outings and their inability to defend properly at set-pieces saw them crash out of the FA Cup in a 2-1 defeat at QPR on Saturday. As soon as Cooper is back, Leeds fans can expect their side’s form to improve, however that needs to happen soon. Judging by the fact he only played just over an hour for the Under-23s means that he is not yet up to full fitness, and the ice being applied to his knee means that he is just short of being fully recovered. It might be a risk for him to play against Derby on Friday.