Leeds reportedly face injury crisis as £35k-a-week ace joins Phillips in long-term absence

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Marcelo Bielsa has an injury crisis on his hands with Liam Cooper joining Kalvin Phillips in facing a lengthy absence from the Leeds United line-up, Phil Hay of The Athletic reports.

The Elland Road outfit are still yet to put a definitive timeline on either’s return. But it is likely both will miss a substantial number of fixtures over the Whites’ festive schedule.

The Daily Mail have reported Phillips will miss two-months after injuring his hamstring at home to Brentford on Sunday. They also note Patrick Bamford injured his hamstring in the 2-2 Bees draw, but should only face a short-term absence.

Cooper likewise sustained his injury during Leeds’ draw with Brentford last weekend and had to come off after only 15-minutes. The Whites captain was making his 15th outing of the Premier League season, having started each of the Elland Road outfit’s games so far.

The Scotland international is one of just three United players to open all 15 fixtures so far. Stuart Dallas and goalkeeper Illan Meslier are likely to now become their only 100% men.

Cooper injury big blow for Bielsa amid Leeds injury crisis

Cooper facing a lengthy absence through a hamstring injury, like Phillips, will be a big blow for Leeds and Bielsa. While the Argentine coach has rotated the Whites captain’s partner in his backline, Cooper has been the rock trying to keep the unit from crumbling.

Diego Llorente, Pascal Struijk, Luke Ayling, Phillips and youngster Charlie Cresswell have all played alongside £35k-a-week Cooper this season. Stuart Dallas also dropped in to partner Llorente and Ayling in a three-man line after Cooper’s early exit on Sunday.

Bielsa will now have to hope one of the sextet offers Leeds what Cooper has over a number of years, starting with Saturday’s trip to Chelsea before facing Manchester City on Tuesday.

“He [Cooper] has a very good first pass, he is good in the aerial balls, he is our captain and he deserves to be our captain,” Bielsa said, via the Yorkshire Evening Post in 2019. “When he’s inside the team, he always makes the team stronger.”