Leeds player gives verdict on struggling team-mate and says how he will be feeling
By Coral Barry
Liam Cooper has backed Chris Wood to return to top form on Tuesday night after the striker struggled to find his goal scoring touch in the 1-0 defeat to Burnley on Saturday.
Wood missed two golden close-range opportunities in the second half to bring Leeds level against the league leaders and Cooper admitted the striker will be hurting but is convinced his teammate will put things right when the Whites travel to face Birmingham in the Championship on Tuesday.
Cooper and Leeds have now gone four league games without a victory, but the defender has backed Wood to quickly rediscover his shooting boots.
"He'll be hurting," said Cooper after the game, as quoted by Yorkshire Evening Post. "He'll beat himself up but he's got a chance to make it right on Tuesday [away at Birmingham City] and he will do."
Wood's chances came when Leeds were on top and chasing the game, but the New Zealander appears to be lacking crucial match sharpness after a lengthy absence from the starting eleven due to injury.
The narrow defeat has left the Whites stranded in 15th with just six more league games to play.
The Yorkshire club are safe from being dragged into a late relegation fight, but are also miles off the pace in the play-off battle at the top of the table.