Liam Cooper could miss Birmingham City, Leeds United transfer exit may be ‘in doubt’ after Cardiff City draw – Phil Hay
Liam Cooper’s looks likely to miss the trip to Birmingham next weekend and his potential Leeds United exit to Saudi Arabia may now be “in doubt”, according to Phil Hay.
The Athletic journalist said on The Square Ball on Monday (7 August) that amid no news from the club the Whites captain’s injury looked like it would cause him to miss games so “you don’t see him at Birmingham”, and if it is anything serious it could mean his transfer option is off the table.
It was reported by talkSPORT on 3 August that the Scotland international had received a “lucrative” offer to move to Saudi Arabia, but after starting the 2-2 draw with Cardiff City on Sunday (6 August) he was stretchered off with an ankle injury sustained in pulling the first goal back. Leeds head to St. Andrew’s on 12 August.
Hay said (10m 25s) of Cooper’s injury: “That looks to the naked eye like it’s going to be an absence of some sort. Looking at the way he was trying to walk behind the goal line and struggling you don’t see him being at Birmingham on Saturday.
“I feel for him as well because he does have this offer from Saudi Arabia and I think in his situation with 12 months to go, 31 now, a lot of football behind him. It’s very different, I feel, to Max Wober’s situation. Wober seemed to be saying, ‘I want to be elsewhere. I just want to go and play for another club. I want to go to Bundesliga’.
“I think this is more of a life decision for Cooper, but what the effect will be of this injury… It might well be that he was minded to stay anyway but if it is fairly long-term, or if it isn’t great, then you would imagine that it would put that move in doubt.”
Miserable luck
Whether Cooper was planning to take the Saudi cash or not the injury comes as a pretty significant blow to him.
He spent most of the final Premier League season in and out of a porous defence thanks to fitness concerns, and with the options significantly reduced by Wober following Robin Koch, Diego Llorente and Rasmus Kristensen out on loan it looked like the captain’s time to take charge again.
While his partnership with Pascal Struijk did not look good at Elland Road in going 2-0 down to Cardiff he did score a captain’s goal to drag the home side back into the game just after the break.
But he immediately appeared in significant pain upon landing after heading Crysencio Summerville’s corner home, and it would be a surprise if he is available again imminently.
Charlie Cresswell looked good after replacing him and the Whites are in talks to sign Pantelis Chatzidiakos, so Cooper’s starting berth could be gone by the time he gets back.
After delivering an ultimatum to his underperforming teammates in the dressing room following the loss to Tottenham that confirmed relegation on 28 May [Yorkshire Evening Post, 27 July], he would likely have a few questions to answer if he did now bolt for the money in Saudi Arabia.
But in the short term it doesn’t appear that he will be playing anywhere for a few weeks unless he makes a miraculous recovery.
In other Leeds United news, the Whites are battling to sign a bargain Premier League striker who is doing everything he can to get out.