Saikat Mandal

Wed 8 February 2023 19:24, UK

Leeds United skipper Liam Cooper has travelled with the squad, but he is not included in the matchday squad to face Manchester United at Old Trafford on Wednesday (8 February).

The Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Joe Donnohue has shared on Twitter that Marc Roca is also absent completely as the Whites named a strong starting line-up for the game against the Red Devils.

Robin Koch and Pascal Struijk are likely to operate in central defence, while January signing Weston McKennie is making his first start in midfield for the Whites alongside Tyler Adams.

Leeds will be managed by three caretaker managers for this game, with Chris Armas being one of them.

“Liam Cooper is here with the group, but not named in the matchday squad. Marc Roca absent altogether,” wrote Donnohue.

Fresh direction?

Leeds are yet to appoint their next manager, and the club owner Andrea Radrizzani has made it clear that the club will take time to appoint a new manager.

This is an important game for the club, and it will be interesting to see how the players react to the situation. It can work both ways.

It was the right decision in the end to sack Jesse Marsch. The results were poor, and Marsch looked completely shattered after recent performances. He kept on speaking about methods, but it is as if, he was trying to convince himself more than anything else. 

Probably, the Whites should have sacked him earlier, and there are even suggestions that they delayed the inevitable process.

On two or three occasions, Leeds got an opportunity to sack Marsch during the season, but they dithered, as the club didn’t want to press the panic button. 

In the end, they had to make this call. With no wins after the World Cup in the Premier League, the Whites are sitting perilously over the relegation zone. It’s time to move in a fresh direction.

In other Leeds United news, click here to see breaking, around-the-clock updates on Leeds’ search for a new manager in our interactive live blog.