Explanations provided for substitute Rodrigo being hauled off & Liam Cooper missing out for Leeds vs Chelsea

A number of noteworthy updates surrounding Leeds United’s squad have been forthcoming, on the back of the Whites’ meeting with Chelsea.

All square

Marcelo Bielsa’s men returned to action a short time ago, in a Premier League meeting with the Blues at Stamford Bridge.

Leeds headed into proceedings in search of a bounce-back result, having fallen to defeat in 4 of their last 5 in the English top-flight.

Chelsea, on the other hand, were brimming with confidence, amid an 11-game unbeaten streak across all competitions.

When all was said and done in West Yorkshire, though, the two sides simply couldn’t be separated, en route to an action-packed 0-0 stalemate.

Both the hosts and visitors were guilty of wasting fine openings, with the woodwork having been rattled at both ends, and Illan Meslier and Edouard Mendy forced into action on more than one occasion:

A frantic start at Elland Road! 🔥

Tyler Roberts hits a glorious curling effort, which Edouard Mendy just gets his fingertips too! 🧤

That would have been some goal… pic.twitter.com/ma9jGhdary

— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) March 13, 2021

The one telling moment of quality, however, was simply not forthcoming, in a result which could prove to be costly for a Chelsea side chasing a Premier League top-4 berth.

Leeds latest

For Leeds, on the other hand, Saturday’s action at Elland Road proved another step in the right direction for a side eyeing a lengthy top-flight stay over the years ahead.

In turn, speaking during his post-match press conference, it came as little surprise to see Marcelo Bielsa full of praise for his side, particularly on the defensive side of the ball.

Perhaps most noteworthy when it came to the Leeds’ boss latest media exchange, though, were fitness updates on a number of the club’s stars.

First, Bielsa confirmed that captain Liam Cooper missed out versus Chelsea due to illness. Rodrigo, meanwhile, who was hauled off during the 2nd-half despite having been introduced off the bench in place of the injured Patrick Bamford, is simply lacking in match fitness.

Bamford’s wellbeing remains unclear as things stand, with tests over the days ahead no doubt set to establish the extent of the hitman’s leg issue.

Bielsa delighted with the defensive effort and thought the spread of chances was pretty even between the two sides.

Cooper was sick. Bielsa never comments on whether it’s Covid. No update on Bamford yet.

Rodrigo is still short of full match fitness, which is why he came off.

— Phil Hay (@PhilHay_) March 13, 2021

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Source: 101greatgoals.com