Leeds United's victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers in their last fixture was a result tinged with disappointment. The Whites picked up a number of casualties in the win at Molineux, including a fresh injury to Patrick Bamford. Mateusz Klich was withdrawn with concussion during the first half, minutes after Diego Llorente had to be replaced due to a back spasm. Meanwhile, Illan Meslier was brought off midway through the second half following a collision with Raul Jimenez.
During his post-match press conference, head coach Jesse Marsch opined that none of the injuries sustained on the night appeared to be serious, however it now transpires that Bamford ruptured his plantar fascia, meaning a six-week spell on the sidelines. A statement released by the club on March 27 read : "Kalvin Phillips, Liam Cooper and Diego Llorente have all trained this week and will currently be available to play minutes against Southampton next week," whilst also adding that Raphinha, Klich and Meslier would all be in contention after illness and picking up knocks, respectively.
The silver lining to players suffering injuries is that, extreme cases aside, they will recover, restored to the side, giving their teammates a boost. This is the impact it is hoped club captain Liam Cooper and defensive midfield talisman Kalvin Phillips will have on their eventual return to action. The pair have been out since early December, steadily making progress following hamstring surgeries. Saturday's outing at home to Southampton could prove to be the game in which Cooper and Phillips make their long-awaited comeback.
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As with any returning player, there is, of course, the risk of re-injury. Patrick Bamford has found that the hard way throughout this season, suffering multiple setbacks on the pitch and in training. In the case of Phillips and Cooper, neither has been rushed back to action, evidenced clearly by Jesse Marsch's decision to keep both players rooted to the substitutes' bench despite the injuries sustained at Molineux twelve days ago.
"Kalvin was never gonna play," Marsch said in his post-match press conference. "He's not ready yet to be in the match. Liam Cooper could have played; he's maybe 10 or 15 minutes fit," the head coach added. By the time Leeds take to the field against Ralph Hasenhuttl's side this weekend, 15 days will have passed since those comments. With both Cooper and Phillips remaining at Thorp Arch during the international break, the pair should be a lot closer to contributing on Saturday, too.
Leeds may well need both players, in fact. Earlier in the campaign, the team managed just three shots - none of which were on target - against the Saints as Phillips missed out through injury. This season, Phillips has been Leeds' primary ball-progressor from deep, despite playing roughly 1,000 league minutes. He averages 4.77 passes into the final third per 90, more than any other Leeds United player, according to FBRef.com.
GO HERE: Rate Jesse Marsch's opening month in charge of Leeds United
Equally, Liam Cooper's guidance at the back may be required, in particular when dealing with Armando Broja. The 6ft 3in Albanian international is a formidable presence in attack, scoring the game's only goal the last time these two sides met. Cooper averages 3.8 aerial wins per 90 in the Premier League this season, significantly more than any other regular feature of this Whites side.
Provided they are passed fit, involvement from both players can be expected in some capacity. Starting both would be a risk but as outlined above, could be crucial to settling Elland Road nerves. On the other hand, there is always the cautionary tale of Patrick Bamford; expedite Cooper and Phillips' return at your peril. While their joint comeback would certainly lift spirits, an enforced, premature substitution for either has the potential to deflate Elland Road. It remains a situation Marsch and his medical staff will monitor carefully right up until Saturday afternoon.
