Leeds United's victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers in their last fixture was a result tinged with disappointment. The Whites picked up a number of casualties in the win at Molineux, including a fresh injury to Patrick Bamford. Mateusz Klich was withdrawn with concussion during the first half, minutes after Diego Llorente had to be replaced due to a back spasm. Meanwhile, Illan Meslier was brought off midway through the second half following a collision with Raul Jimenez.
During his post-match press conference, head coach Jesse Marsch opined that none of the injuries sustained on the night appeared to be serious, however it now transpires that Bamford ruptured his plantar fascia, meaning a six-week spell on the sidelines. A statement released by the club on March 27 read : "Kalvin Phillips, Liam Cooper and Diego Llorente have all trained this week and will currently be available to play minutes against Southampton next week," whilst also adding that Raphinha, Klich and Meslier would all be in contention after illness and picking up knocks, respectively.
The silver lining to players suffering injuries is that, extreme cases aside, they will recover, restored to the side, giving their teammates a boost. This is the impact it is hoped club captain Liam Cooper and defensive midfield talisman Kalvin Phillips will have on their eventual return to action. The pair have been out since early December, steadily making progress following hamstring surgeries. Saturday's outing at home to Southampton could prove to be the game in which Cooper and Phillips make their long-awaited comeback.
