Here are the latest Leeds United morning headlines on Saturday, 7 May 2022.
Whelan backs Cooper to start
Noel Whelan has backed Liam Cooper to ‘put the team first’ and start for Leeds United in their trip to Arsenal this weekend. Cooper was forced to withdraw from last Saturday’s 4-0 defeat to Manchester City in the warmup but took part in training yesterday ahead of Sunday.
Leeds have a far better record defensively in matches that Cooper has played in this season and would be a welcome boost should he return. And former Whites striker Whelan is hopeful he will play through the ‘pain barrier’ against the Gunners.
Speaking to Football Insider, he said: “He’s one of these players that will go through the pain barrier for the team. Cooper puts the team first before himself. He’s a player that has an influence on the match and on the squad when they’re out there.
READ MORE: How Leeds United's players reacted to Everton's seismic win and 'phenomenal' Thorp Arch display
“We seem to be a lot more solid when we have those leadership skills that he possesses out there. He’s the club captain and he has a lot of respect from the players around him because of that. It wasn’t ideal preparation at the start of the Man City game.
“You don’t want to be losing an influential figure like Liam Cooper. But he felt something and felt it wasn’t right. He protected himself for the upcoming games, which is vitally important. It shows that experience and common sense in a player.
“You need to have that so as not to aggravate it any further. That, or prolong an injury that could be dealt with straight away. Hopefully, he will be taking part in the game against Arsenal on Sunday. He is going to be needed out there.”
Phillips on future
Kalvin Phillips says he wants to be at Leeds United amid speculation regarding his future. He continues to be linked with a move away from Elland Road but has reaffirmed his intentions to stay with the club he has been at for 12 years.
It comes on the same day the Daily Mail reported that he, as well as a couple of his team mates, could be available for a cut price in the summer if the Whites are relegated. As a boyhood supporter of the club, the threat of dropping into the Championship will be an even greater motivation for Phillips heading into the final few games.
Speaking to BBC West Yorkshire Sport, the England international could not have been clearer about where he sees his future. He said: “I’ve made my intentions clear that I want to be at Leeds and I’ll focus on that until my contract ends.
“It’s always been something that I’m not really worried about too much. It’s always been something I’ve been confident in. There’s always going to be noise when you’re an England international and you’re playing for one of the biggest teams in the country.
“Until the end of the season, I’ll be happy at Leeds and I always will be.”
Read more here.
Drameh admission
On loan Leeds United defender Cody Drameh has admitted the backlash he received for leaving the club did affect him mentally. Drameh made the temporary switch to Cardiff City in January as he went in search for regular game time at a point in the season where Leeds found themselves stretched with injuries.
At the time of the transfer, Marcelo Bielsa revealed publicly that he was keen to keep Drameh due to the state the squad found themselves in. However, the former Fulham youngster had his heart set on a move away to a place where he knew he would be playing on a regular basis.
Drameh is set to return to Elland Road this summer once pre-season comes around but thinks the criticism he received is now well and truly behind him, even if it did affect him earlier on.
Speaking to Wales Online, he said: "It's not a concern for me [ahead of returning this summer], but at the time, it did affect me, I won't lie. It did affect me mentally.
"I've never been in the spotlight before, so seeing my name in a negative light, which it hasn't really been before, affected me mentally. But I had to learn from it and try and rise from it, I think I have.
"I just saw it as a new challenge in Cardiff and a chance for me to grow and develop as a person."
