Second March international possible for Leeds United man regardless of World Cup play-off result

Marcelo Bielsa is hoping to have his skipper available again next month and Cooper appears to be on track, returning to the grass at Thorp Arch this week alongside fellow hamstring injury victim Kalvin Phillips.

Cooper has broken into the Scottish international set-up during Bielsa's tenure at Elland Road, earning 13 caps and playing 90 minutes during last summer's Euro 2020 finals.

Scotland boss Steve Clarke has used the Leeds man in six of their last seven fixtures in World Cup Qualifying and started him in the last two against Moldova and Denmark. The Scots' 2-0 victory over the Danes secured a place in the FIFA World Cup play-off semi-finals and a March 24 fixture at Hampden against Ukraine.

The winner of that game is due to travel to play the winner of the other semi-final fixture between Wales and Austria, in the play-off final.

But UEFA have now confirmed that the two beaten semi-finalists will play each other in a friendly match on the date of the play-off final on Tuesday March 29, meaning if Cooper is fit and selected for Clarke's squad, he could be in line for a trip to Wales or Austria regardless of how Scotland fare at Hampden.

Cooper played every minute of Leeds' first 14 Premier League games this season but fell awkwardly against Brentford in December and injured his hamstring.