---
title: "Leeds United: Phil Hay provides injury update on Liam Cooper and Diego Llorente"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/leeds-united-phil-hay-provides-injury-update-on-liam-cooper-and-diego-llorente/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Luke Seychell"
section: "Leeds United"
published: "2021-01-04T12:05:39Z"
modified: "2021-01-04T12:05:39Z"
---

# Leeds United: Phil Hay provides injury update on Liam Cooper and Diego Llorente

**Leeds United have serious [injury issues](https://www.premierinjuries.com/injury-table.php) in their defence, and Phil Hay has reported on the injury update that Marcelo Bielsa provided about both Liam Cooper and Diego Llorente.**

### The latest news on Leeds duo

The journalist for The Athletic [tweeted](https://twitter.com/PhilHay_/status/1345387516644499457?s=20) out: “On Cooper/Llorente, Bielsa said only that they are ‘recovering’. But Leeds have two weeks until their next league game now.”

### This is a big blow for Leeds

The two centre-backs have been missing for the last[couple of weeks](https://www.premierinjuries.com/injury-table.php) and it has been an issue for Bielsa as he has had to play right-back Luke Ayling in the [centre of his defence](https://www.sofascore.com/leeds-united-tottenham/IsJ).

29-year-old Cooper has had a very solid season and has featured 11 times in the Premier League ([WhoScored](https://www.whoscored.com/Players/44148/Show/Liam-Cooper)). In these appearances, he has managed on average 2.6 tackles, 2.3 interceptions and three clearances a game.

Meanwhile, six-cap Spain international Diego Llorente racked up 247 club appearances and has 18 goals to his name ([Transfermarkt](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/diego-llorente/transfers/spieler/246291)) before joining Leeds, so he has enough experience to come in and thrive when fit and healthy.

With fellow centre-back Robin Koch having to [undergo surgery](https://www.premierinjuries.com/injury-table.php), the fact that Bielsa has only said Cooper and Llorente are ‘recovering’ is an issue as he hasn’t given a return date for the two, meaning Ayling could be seeing even more time as a centre-back in the upcoming matches.

***In other news, [Phil Hay has provided an update on the future of this defender.](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/leeds-united-news/leeds-united-phil-hay-reports-on-future-luke-ayling-replacement/)***