Leeds United caretaker Michael Skubala reveals injury hope for key pair but winger misses Everton

The games against Manchester United came too soon for club captain Liam Cooper and midfielder Marc Roca but caretaker boss Michael Skubala is hoping to have them available for the trip to Goodison. Luis Sinisterra is not yet in contention for a return, however.

"We've still go the long term ones, we're working hard to get them back on the pitch,” said Skubala on Thursday afternoon.

“We've got Pascal [Struijk] back in training after concussion today, which is a positive. Liam Cooper and Marc Roca are touch and go, not far, we could see them maybe on Saturday. We don't want to take any risks, I definitely don't want to take any risks with players in this moment.Obviously from the first game, [Luis] took a bit of a pulled muscle. Again he's one of those, he's on his way back, a bit further away than Liam and Marc but is progressing nicely.

“We've got Sonny Perkins back on the pitch, which is nice to see. We're slowly, slowly getting some strength back in the squad.”

Sinisterra and Struijk both left the first clash at Old Trafford in the early stages with a hamstring issue and concussion respectively.

As for the longer term injuries, Rodrigo remains out after ankle surgery on a problem sustained in his substitute cameo at Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup, while Adam Forshaw is yet to return since an injection for the hip issue that plagued him for two years and Stuart Dallas is still working his way back from a fractured femur and subsequent surgeries.

Archie Gray has been back running on the grass over the past couple of weeks and is expected to return to full training soon. The 16-year-old fractured his toe at home when he stubbed it on a doorframe, before the subsequent emergence of an ankle issue. Scans revealed damage and swelling but the club decided due to his tender years that it should be allowed to heal, rather than be operated upon.

Fellow prospect Perkins had also been struggling with an ankle injury that he, like Rodrigo, picked up at Accrington.