Jesse Marsch expects to see five Leeds United players return to training within the next two weeks as the club’s treatment room begins to clear out. The Whites have picked up a handful of injuries over pre-season but with the Premier League season fast approaching, Marsch is hopeful of seeing his squad at close to full strength sooner rather than later.
Liam Cooper hasn’t featured in any of Leeds’ pre-season outings after picking up a minor Achilles issue over the off-season and he was force to sit out most of the club’s training sessions Down Under. However, He could be fit to return to the training pitch as early as today and Marsch will be keen to see his skipper make rapid progress.
The head coach saw Luis Sinisterra and Adam Forshaw limp out of the club’s final clash with Crystal Palace Down Under, but both could be back in training next week, meaning they will miss United’s clash with Wolves on Saturday, but they shouldn’t miss too much more of the campaign. There’s good news regarding long-term injuries to Luke Ayling and Junior Firpo, too, with the pair considered to be ahead of schedule at this stage.
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Firpo was originally ruled out for eight weeks last month, but he could return to training in a fortnight and it is hoped he will be joined by Ayling, who had surgery on a knee issue at the end of last season.
“So Liam will hopefully be on the pitch tomorrow,” Marsch told the press after watching his side’s dominant 6-2 win over Cagliari on Sunday night. “Sinisterra is probably a week from being on the pitch and Firpo is probably two weeks from being on the pitch.
“I think Adam (Forshaw) is a week from being on the pitch. Luke (Ayling) is probably two weeks away from being on the pitch. We’re not at full strength but in two or three weeks we will be close to that with the exception being Stuart Dallas.”
Dallas fractured his femur in April’s defeat to Manchester City at Elland Road and has been ruled out for a huge chunk of this season as he recovers. However, the Northern Ireland international was seen at Elland Road on Sunday without crutches or a leg brace.
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