‘Big news’ – Exclusive: Whelan claims Bielsa plotting ‘Huge’ change to Leeds XI
Liam Cooper will be restored to the Leeds United starting XI against Fulham on Saturday, according to Noel Whelan.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the ex-United striker claims the skipper will replace Gaetano Berardi in the team “without a shadow of a doubt”.
The Whites skipper has missed United’s last three games with a calf strain but the centre-back revealed today, as quoted by Leeds Live, he has been training for the past two days and is in contention to feature at Craven Cottage.
“It’s a huge boost to have Liam back,” Whelan told Football Insider. “He will come straight back into the side, without a shadow of a doubt.
“We are very much lacking a top header of the ball at the back and that was the killer against Cardiff last Saturday.
“Cardiff knew Leeds’ weakness was balls into the box from crosses and set-pieces, and they were far more dominant in those areas.
“It’s big news that Liam’s fit again. He is more aggressive and dominant in the air than the other Leeds defenders.
“Berardi will drop out of the team, and Liam and Ben White will pair up again to combine in what is the best centre-back partnership in the Championship.”
Cooper has started 13 of United’s 22 league matches this season, and come on twice as a substitute.
But he has suffered a series of niggling injuries over the past two months, which has forced Bielsa to regularly reshuffle his defence and pair Ben White with Berardi.
In other Leeds United news, it has been claimed that the club have lined up “brilliant” 27-year-old to replace Jack Clarke next month.