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