Marcelo Bielsa - the Leeds United head coach - has revealed that club captain Liam Cooper is in danger of missing Monday evening's showdown with Wolverhampton Wanderers at Elland Road.
Cooper, who has started three of Leeds' opening four Premier League fixtures this season, picked up a muscular problem whilst on international duty with Scotland, which forced him to miss the Scot's Nations League clashes with Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
Though the problem is not as bad as first feared, he could miss the clash with Wolves on Monday evening, which will see the Whites aiming to extend their unbeaten league run to four matches.
Cooper is not the only centre-back struggling with a muscular problem, with new summer signing Diego Llorente also struggling. The Spaniard, signed from Real Sociedad for around £18m, also picked up a similar injury whilst away on international duty.
"Llorente has a muscular problem. Cooper also has a muscular problem, but it’s not as bad," Bielsa said during Friday lunchtime's pre-match press conference. "Which puts him at risk of missing the game against Wolves on Monday.
On a positive front, though, Bielsa has confirmed that midfield duo Pablo Hernandez and Mateusz Klich are both available for selection.
Midfield dynamo Hernandez has missed Leeds' last three Premier League outings with a hamstring complaint. Klich, meanwhile, has returned from international duty with Poland unscathed.
Pablo is fine," Bielsa said during his pre-match press briefing on Friday lunchtime. "Klich, I have no news of him having any difficulties."
Elsewhere, fellow stars Stuart Dallas, Ezgjan Alioski and Tyler Roberts have all returned to Thorp Arch in perfect shape after spending time with Northern Ireland, Macedonia and Wales, respectively, over the recent break.
Bielsa added: "All the internationals returned without problems: Klich, Alioski, Dallas, Roberts and the rest."
