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Marcelo Bielsa gives injury update on key Leeds trio after Luton draw

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Image for Marcelo Bielsa gives injury update on key Leeds trio after Luton draw

Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa says that the injury that forced Liam Cooper off early in his side’s 1-1 draw with Luton on Tuesday night is not serious, but that Stuart Dallas could miss Saturday’s trip to Blackburn with a problem sustained in the clash with the Hatters.

Cooper was forced just 12 minutes into the match at Elland Road with what appeared to be a back injury, although it seems that will not be a long-term issue.

Speaking about the knock taken by Cooper in his post-match press conference after the game, Bielsa was quoted by Leeds Live as saying: “I think it’s a kick, very painful in the side, but don’t think it’s a heavy injury.”

Dallas meanwhile, equalised for Leeds 63 minutes into the game after Harry Cornick had opened the scoring for Luton, but was then withdrawn in stoppage time while holding his hamstring.

Discussing the situation with the Northern Ireland international, Bielsa added“I think he feels something in the glutes, but I don’t think he’s going to play in the next match.”

Elsewhere, Pablo Hernandez continued his return from injury, coming off the bench for the second game running, and after being asked how close the Spaniard is to completing a full 90 minutes, Bielsa responded“We are going to analyse this. Today he played less than the last match. 

“We are going to see how he feels from now to Saturday. And after that we are going to decide.”

This could be something of a concern for Leeds.

Injuries for both Cooper and Dallas could leave them rather short at the back, while there can be no doubt they become more of a threat upfront when Hernandez is on the pitch.

This therefore could be a test of Leeds’ strength in depth with the heavy fixture schedule to come over the next few weeks, and it will be interesting to see how they cope with that, with the pressure mounting again in the battle for promotion after failing to pick up all three points on Tuesday.

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UCLan Sports Journalism graduate. Have been working for Leeds All Over since summer 2020, and can only be found writing on Football League World.