Jesse Marsch close to his perfect Leeds United starting line-up after huge vote of confidence - YEP 6/9/22

Leeds United head coach Jesse Marsch is still awaiting a fully fit Liam Cooper to return to his Whites side

By Joe Donnohue

Leeds have been without their captain for the vast majority of this season.

In fact, throughout Jesse Marsch’s tenure as head coach, the American has had to cope without Liam Cooper for over fifty per cent of the matches he has taken charge of.

Cooper missed Marsch’s first four games back in March, then after three starts in-a-row, missed another two matches before finishing the campaign in the starting XI.

An Achilles problem sustained during pre-season has robbed the 31-year-old of training and playing continuity throughout the summer and consequently, Cooper is still awaiting his first Premier League outing of the season.

The Scot did feature in the Carabao Cup win over Barnsley last month, but picked up a small calf issue leaving him sidelined for the visit of Everton.

His appearance on the bench for the first time at Brentford last weekend does indicate he is nearing full fitness and after shipping five goals at the hands of the Bees in west London, his return cannot come a moment too soon.

Jesse Marsch hailed the club captain when posed with the possibility of a selection dilemma prior to Leeds’ 5-2 defeat in the capital.

"I think in general Liam is an incredibly important person in this team,” he said, issuing a fulsome vote of confidence despite the captain’s prolonged absence.

"I think he brings a lot to us at all moments and certainly when he's on the field.

"Robin [Koch] has emerged as an incredible player and maybe our best player in our first five games. I think he's now really inserted himself into the future in a really good way. And then I also think Pascal at left-back, quasi left centre-back, three-in-build-up, has also been fantastic.

“I think there's competition now in the squad, but in a really healthy, competitive way. I think the guys understand that.

"It looks like Diego and Coops [as the first-choice pairing], but Robin has emerged and Pascal is playing great,” Marsch added.

Based on Marsch’s comments, the preferred pairing in defence still includes his captain but the emergence of Robin Koch leaves him with a decision to make over Spain international Diego Llorente, whose performance was deemed by many to have dropped below his usual standard last weekend.

With just under a week until United’s next fixture at home to Nottingham Forest, Marsch has time on the training pitch to analyse and determine which centre-back duo gives his side the firmest foundation to build upon this autumn.