Liam Cooper suffers brutal injury away from Leeds United as Scotland win
Leeds United veteran Liam Cooper has suffered a “brutal” injury while on international duty with Scotland, according to the Daily Record.
The newspaper reported [4 June, pages 50 & 51] that the 32-year-old was seen clutching his knee before being substituted in Scotland’s 2-0 victory over Gibraltar on Monday 3 June.
This looks to be yet another setback for the centre-back, who is out of contract at Elland Road this summer, though he could sign a new deal with the Championship side.
“Clarke has to cut one from his group of 27 and it could be his decision is made for him after yet more injury heartache for Liam Cooper, with the defender limping off clutching his knee towards the end,” Michael Gannon wrote.
“It was brutal for the Leeds man but it’s left the manager with one big call to come – whether he adds another striker to the list.”
Leeds United Liam Cooper suffers international setback
The veteran defender only managed 32 minutes on the pitch after being substituted as a half-time replacement for Grant Hanley before being replaced himself.
With the current uncertainty surrounding his future at Elland Road, with the player’s contract set to expire this summer, that decision may have just been made for him on international duty.
He only made eight Championship starts this season, with Daniel Farke choosing a preferred centre-back duo of Ethan Ampadu and Joe Rodon, even despite Pascal Struijk being injured.
Cooper will be resigned to a backup role next season as well if given a new deal as Leeds hope to gain promotion to the Premier League after missing out via the Championship play-offs.
While the club will likely need to sell a few of its stars this summer, it is likely that Cooper will still not get a consistent look-in next season, which may just seal his future away from Elland Road.
It will be a disastrous start if he is not fit enough to travel with the Scotland squad to EURO 2024, missing the chance to audition on one of the world’s biggest stages.
In other Leeds United news, Paraag Marathe has been handed a vote of confidence by Red Bull following a new update at Elland Road
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