‘Another’ blow for Leeds United as defender Robin Koch will be out for a month yet, BBC’s Adam Pope has confirmed from Marcelo Bielsa’s press conference.
The Lowdown: Leeds’ injury storm
The Whites have been struck by what The Athletic’s Phil Hay describes as a ‘perfect storm of injuries’ in recent weeks, with the likes of Raphinha, Kalvin Phillips, Patrick Bamford and several defenders all missing matches.
And while the Brazilian is expected to be fit and raring to go this weekend against Wolves, Bielsa shared some troubling news on Koch in his Thursday press conference, as the issues in defence persist.
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The Latest: Another month for Koch
As shared by BBC’s Pope, the German defender ‘has another month to go’, meaning Bielsa will still be struggling for depth at the back for at least four more weeks.
Liam Cooper has been chastised for his form this season, while the likes of Luke Ayling and Diego Llorente have also been hit by injury issues.
The Verdict: Big blow to Bielsa’s depth
While the Whites’ defence has improved slightly in recent fixtures, conceding just once across their last two games, the extent of Koch’s injury continues to be a big blow for the manager.
The 25 year-old is capable of playing in the heart of defence, at right-back, or even in defensive midfield,which means his absence hurts Bielsa’s options in multiple positions.
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He has also been hailed as a ‘leader’ and ‘magnificent’ by former Elland Road man Noel Whelan, and with Cooper struggling for form the side could certainly use some of that leadership.
Now facing a Wolves team who sit eighth in the expected goals department this season, with the numbers showing Bruno Lage’s side are actually creating far more chances than their goals scored suggests (Understat), Saturday’s meeting could be a real uphill battle for Bielsa and co.
In other news, see exactly what one talkSPORT pundit had to say about Cooper’s showings this season…
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