Leeds United captain Liam Cooper is expected to make a return to action in early March after a lengthy injury, according to fitness expert Ben Dinnery.

The Lowdown: Cooper absent for months

The Whites have suffered numerous injury problems throughout the season, with key players missing large chunks of the campaign and the team duly struggling.

Cooper is one of those who has featured little as the weeks have passed, only managing 15 Premier League appearances and not playing since early December.

It now looks as though the Leeds captain is nearing a return, though, with a fresh update suggesting as much.

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The Latest: Return is close

Speaking to Football Insider, Dinnery confirmed that Cooper is on course to return early next month. The injury expert outlined:

“We know Bielsa is a stickler for making sure his players are on it. You will typically see players transition from working with the physios to the sports science department and then first-team training.

“We are expecting a return to play in early March. That gives us a fairly good indication of where those players are. So it could be that the player is with the first-team squad for a couple of weeks before they are thrown back into the first-team limelight.

“This is a big step forward. I would expect more big strides within the next seven to 10 days and coming into consideration for the development side.”

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The Verdict: Huge positive for Leeds

Cooper is such an influential figure at Elland Road, being hailed as ‘brilliant’ by Ally McCoist in the past and averaging a squad-high 3.6 successful aerial duels per game in the league this season.

His return will be a major boost for Marcelo Bielsa, not only because of the quality he brings but also because of his leadership skills, which he illustrates be routinely winning crucial headers at the back.

The spine of Cooper, Kalvin Phillips and Patrick Bamford was integral to Leeds’ success last season, and eventually having all three back fit should help to steer them away from the threat of relegation.

In other news, Leeds are reportedly eyeing up a move for an exciting player. Read more here.