Javi Gracia explains Liam Cooper decision at Arsenal and logic in Leeds United attacking changes - YEP 2/4/23

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Leeds United boss Javi Gracia has explained why Pascal Struijk started at captain Liam Cooper's expense at Arsenal and his logic behind Whites attacking changes.

Lee Sobot

Cooper returned from injury as a second-half substitute for Scotland in the Tartan Army's Euros qualifier against Spain on Tuesday but did not start Saturday's Premier League clash at Arsenal despite Max Wober being sidelined with a hamstring injury. Struijk instead came into the side next to Robin Koch at centre-back and Gracia says Struijk was "better prepared" having trained more than Cooper due to his recovery from injury.

Cooper was eventually brought on as a 74th-minute substitute for Koch in the 4-1 defeat to finally bag his first minutes under new boss Gracia who has made a confident prediction about both Cooper and Struijk for the season run-in.

Asked if the decision to play Struijk instead of Cooper was tactical or anything to do with fitness, Gracia explained: "No, I think Pascal is training more time ago than Liam and in my opinion, he was better prepared for the game today. I know Liam played with the national team some minutes during the last week, but it's only a decision. Both of them are going to be important during the rest of the season. I don't have any doubt about it."

Gracia also provided his reasons for bringing on top scorer Rodrigo when Leeds were 3-0 down and Whites no 9 Patrick Bamford with just six minutes left, just one minute after Granit Xhaka had put the Gunners 4-1 up.

"Because we always need good players on the pitch," said Gracia, asked about the logic of those decisions. "In that moment, we need more offensive players and to change something up front."

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