Leeds United defender Liam Cooper has issued a message to supporters after being back in full training with the senior squad ahead of Friday's game against Wolverhampton Wanderers. The 30-year-old has been out for over three months with a hamstring injury but could soon be in line for a return.
Cooper suffered the issue in a 2-2 draw with Brentford back in December and has been a huge miss to the Leeds back-line. Diego Llorente and Pascal Struijk have stepped up in his absence, while Robin Koch and Luke Ayling have also had to fill in when required.
The Whites have failed to keep a clean sheet since Cooper has been out of the team. They have conceded 43 goals in their last 15 matches - the most any Premier League side has shipped in that time.
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This just emphasises the impact that the Scotland international has on the Leeds squad and his return will be welcome as Jesse Marsch tries to strengthen their defensive unit. The American has discussed the importance to make the Whites harder to beat after conceding a record 22 goals in February.
Marsch's plan worked in his first game in charge as they limited Leicester City to very few chances, and although the Whites lost the game 1-0, it was a positive performance and one which they could've built on. However, Leeds were made to pay for their mistakes in a thumping 3-0 defeat against Aston Villa last week.
Leeds finally recorded their first win since January when they edged past Norwich City at the weekend, but the Whites still looked vulnerable at the back. The Canaries created a number of opportunities to score, with Aaron Rowe hitting the crossbar, while Teemu Pukki fired wide from a good position.
Cooper's return, though, will give Marsch more options to chose from heading into the final eight games of the campaign. Leeds face a trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Friday night and Marsch is likely to give an update on his skipper's availability for that match when he undergoes his pre-match press conference on Thursday morning.
The Whites then face Southampton and Watford immediately after the two-week international break and Cooper seems pleased to be back with his team-mates. He said on his Instagram account: "Back with the troops."
Leeds' win over Norwich moved them four points clear of the relegation zone, with Everton and Burnley both losing over the weekend. Meanwhile, Watford's victory at Southampton has pushed them back into the battle to stay up.
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