Cooper injury

Cooper out for a prolonged period, it appears to be muscular rather than ligament which is some good news. Cooper is due for scans early next week.

Hopefully he will be back as quickly as possible.

This, to me, looks our most serious injury to date, the skipper hasn't missed much of the season and has looked one of our most improved players under Bielsa.

It puts pressure on Pontus, Kalvin and 20 year old Aapo Halme with the defence already missing Ayling and Bera until early next year.

We have 7 games between now and the end of the year, the away game at Villa on 23rd December looks very tricky. This quantity of games with a defence that is down to the bare bones is very concerning.

So what are the options from the development squad should we need others to step up?

Clearly Shaughnessy isn't figuring highly in Bielsa's plans.

Diaz has yet to make the matchday bench this season.

O'Connor is at Blackpool until January and not starting many anyway.

Kitching is starting for Harrogate, is on a season long loan but clearly there is a big step up from non-league even if the loan could be terminated.

Struijk looks OK but is very young.

If Victor isn't looking to strengthen the defence in January, we clearly haven't learnt from the first half of the season.