Leeds captain Liam Cooper hints at potential early return from injury

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Leeds United captain Liam Cooper has told LUTV that his groin injury has settled down quicker than expected, and hinted that he is hopeful of potentially returning ahead of schedule.

Cooper limped off during the first-half of Leeds’s 1-0 win against West Brom at the start of the month. The club subsequently confirmed on their official website that the centre-back was expected to be missing for up to six weeks.

But the Scotland international suggested that his recovery has gone well so far, and expressed a hope that he may be back sooner than expected.

“Still on schedule,” he told LUTV. “It’s settling down a little bit quicker than I thought it would, there’s a bit of damage in the tendon which usually takes a bit longer, but I’m progressing well in the gym.

“Really looking forward to getting back outside, it’ll maybe be a couple of weeks yet but hopefully I can keep cracking on in the gym, strengthening around the muscle. Who knows, I could get back a bit earlier but it all depends on the healing process.”

TBR’s View

It would be a big boost for Leeds to have Cooper back as soon as possible. His partnership with Ben White was a key reason why the Whites boast the best defensive record in the Championship. And his absence seemed to be felt against Millwall before the international break

Gaetano Berardi understandably felt hard done after being sent off at the Den. But it was still his mistake that allowed Tom Bradshaw to get into the box. The 2-1 defeat saw Leeds concede more than one goal in a league game for the first time this term.

Of course, Marcelo Bielsa will be wary of rushing Cooper back. The last thing Leeds need is for the skipper to sustain a more serious injury that rules him out over Christmas.

But if they can get Cooper back ahead of schedule, it would be no surprise to see the Whites do all they can to get him ready to come straight back into the team.