da 888casino： [ad_pod ]
da bet vitoria： BBC Football reported on Wednesday that Leeds United centre-back Liam Cooper will be out of action for up to six weeks having undergone knee surgery.
What’s the word, then?
Well, the 27-year-old suffered the injury during his side’s 1-0 win against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane last weekend, and it is yet another huge blow for Whites boss Marcelo Bielsa.
The Argentine manager is already without Luke Ayling and Gaetano Berardi from his backline due to injury, while he also lost stand-in right-back Stuart Dallas for six weeks too after he fractured his foot against the Blades.
The absence of Cooper in particular leaves the Yorkshire outfit short of options in a key area ahead of the busy festive period, with 20-year-old Aapo Halme expected to fill in for the foreseeable future as the January transfer window isn’t open for another three-and-a-half weeks.
What does Bielsa do next?
The 63-year-old is renowned for liking to work with a smaller squad and has refused to be drawn on about potential January business previously, but the latest setback at the heart of the defence means he can no longer afford to be so stubborn.
Leeds need a new central defensive option in the New Year – there is no longer any doubt about that – and as well as his preferred methods of management, Bielsa also needs to consider his team’s automatic promotion hopes.
The Whites need to be as strong as possible if they are to continue to compete for a top-two spot in the Championship, and making sure they remain strong at the spine is certainly key to that.
While Halme is clearly a talented young centre-back, Bielsa needs a more experienced option there – even when Cooper and Pontus Jansson are both fit – and he simply has to sign someone who fits that criteria in January.