Leeds need to step up Matty Pennington interest after Liam Cooper blow

Follow us on Google Discover

Leeds United have had a bad run of luck when it comes to injuries involving their defenders.

It was reported by the Yorkshire Evening Post earlier this month that Leeds were eyeing another loan move for Matthew Pennington as Marcelo Bielsa looked to add depth to his defensive options at Elland Road.

Pennington’s first stint with the Whites was mixed. There were occasional glimpses of real quality, but the Everton ace struggled at times with both form and fitness, and it may have surprised some when the reports emerged suggesting that Leeds were keen to bring him back this term.

But following Leeds’ draw with Swansea City on Tuesday night, it appears almost imperative that the Whites do all they can to make sure that they get a deal across the line for Pennington.

Bielsa has been unable to use Pontus Jansson for much of the campaign so far due to his involvement at the World Cup, and the Swede has recently picked up an injury that ruled him out of the game at the Liberty Stadium.

Unfortunately for Jansson, that did not appear to be a huge setback for Leeds given Bielsa’s faith in the pairing of Liam Cooper and Gaetano Berardi in the opening weeks of the campaign. But they were not the pair that took to the field against the Swans.

As reported by the Yorkshire Evening Post, Cooper suffered a hamstring injury in the warm up ahead of the 2-2 draw, prompting Bielsa to move Luke Ayling into the middle and hand Jamie Shackleton another chance to shine at right-back.

It was a tough night for Leeds, and the pairing of Berardi and Ayling struggled to cope with the Swans’ attacking threat, particularly from Oli McBurnie. Using the remaining days of the loan window wisely therefore, appears to be a must.

Pennington may not solve all of Leeds’ issues if Cooper is out for any kind of sustained period, but he would arguably be a very good addition with EFL clubs restricted in the business that they can do at this stage of the summer.

Some bright work in attack saw Leeds come from behind twice and preserve their unbeaten start to the season in Wales, but the warning signs regarding the defensive depth were there, and that should tempt Bielsa to step up the hunt to get Pennington back through the door.