Javi Gracia's Leeds United press conference highlights: Adams to see specialist on hamstring injury, Cooper back
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The Whites take on a fellow relegation-threatened side this weekend in Julen Lopetegui’s Wolves, returning to Molineux for the first time since their Carabao Cup defeat in the West Midlands earlier this season.
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Hide AdGracia’s Leeds will be without Tyler Adams who withdrew from selection for this month’s USMNT fixtures due to a hamstring injury picked up in training. Rodrigo, Patrick Bamford and Luis Sinisterra all made a return to the pitch last weekend in Leeds’ 2-2 draw with Brighton and Hove Albion, though, and the squad boasts a largely clean bill of health.
The head coach has been coy when it comes to injury updates since his arrival last month, but is expected to provide additional context to Adams’ injury which could prove to be a considerable blow if he is sidelined for a lengthy period.
Press conference updates filtering in here from 1pm.
Javi Gracia press conference LIVE
Gracia on getting away from football
I live in the training ground. 12 hours here, the rest is to have dinner and rest at the hotel. Watch the games, speak with family by phone, then sleep. That’s all.
Gracia on relegation stress
I don’t relax. I live stressed. I feel the stress inside and i think that’s the best thing I can do. The best way I can help my players is to give them the confidence and calm to help them play the best way. I don’t help them if I stress or shout a lot. It’s not my way. For sure, inside I suffer a lot but I try to give what my players need. They need confident and support because they are showing me the quality and commitment.
Gracia on Wolves approach
You play against other teams, the game depends not just on you. Of course we go with a good mentality in terms of to be competitive, trying to be aggressive, trying to show our best face. We know how important the game is and thinking this way, we’re preparing all the training sessions to analyse the best way to attack and defend. I don’t know how this game is going, we are ready to play against one team that change many times their line-up, their shape. After the game we’ll see what happens.
Gracia on player availability
If I have more options it’s better but I don’t complain about it if Tyler is out, if Rodrigo can’t play all of the minutes. Thinking this way we have to get the three points. We have enough players, very good players, all of them are ready to compete. That’s my concern and what we’re thinking in this moment.
Gracia on tactics
The way we did it is something as I try to explain after the game: for me the players deserve all the credit because they did it really well. I know in some moments when we were losing, some people were thinking ‘we need to press higher’ but I know what happen when you press man-to-man [vs Brighton]. For me what’s important is to follow the plan until the end. And then that’s the reason because I believe in these players. We think we’re going to do what’s better for the team. We only got a point, I know. For the next game, we have another plan, maybe we can be more aggressive, maybe we can recover more balls in the opposition half. I like to see my players [doing that] but we need that balance. It’s what we’re working on day in day out.
Gracia on Rasmus Kristensen
If you don’t play what you want, you have to be disappointed but at the same time his attitude is an example for all the players. Always smiling, trying to help the team. When we play against Fulham and we didn’t have a centre-back, he was the first to offer, to tell me ‘I have to play there, I only have one target, to help the team’
Gracia on Dallas and Forshaw
These are the players working to be in the best condition. But they are out of the team. In this case I’m not sure the time they need to be back with the team.
Gracia on Bamford
The last game as I told you after the game, I had to control a little bit the minutes that Patrick was on the pitch. The same way I did with Rodrigo and Sinisterra because they are players coming from different injuries. What I saw about Patrick was good. He helped the team score a good goal, giving chances for other players as well. I expect the best of him for the rest of the season.
Gracia on setting up vs Wolves
Every game is different and the preparation as well. We know the way Brighton was playing before they play us. We did it the same way, with Wolves knowing they can manage different shapes, different players. I think the team work really well this week.
Gracia on Wolves
All my experience playing against Wolves were very demanding games. This time will not be different, it will be the same. In my opinion they are playing well, they are a well-organised team with good players. I expect a very demanding game. At the same time, I expect a good result for us as well.
Gracia on Cooper
Liam has been out of the team some time but I think it’s important that now he’s with the team. He can do many things on the pitch but he’s very important as well out of the pitch: his personality can help us in this moment. He’s ready.
Gracia on Adams
Tyler is different than others. There is no-one like Tyler. In this case we have other players ready as you can see in the last games we played. In the last one we started with Tyler and Marc, the game before Tyler and Weston. We have other waiting for their chances. Maybe this is the moment for them. I’m sure all of them are ready to compete at a high level.
Gracia on what a win over Wolves would mean going into the break
Always is good to get a win but in this case even more. After winning one game you have more time to work with the players you have, because some are going to their national teams. You have a good atmosphere to remain the attitude and spirit of the players. It will be good to work with the players in the next weeks.
Gracia on the relegation fight
There are many teams involved. As I told you many times, we try to be focused on the next game, try to play the next game giving the most importance of points that are in play. We know it will be in a similar way until the end. We have to be ready and focused and try to give our best. I’m sure we will be fighting til the end. When I came here three weeks ago, I knew the clear objective was to remain in Premier League. I’m sure of that.
Gracia is here
Tyler is injured and in this moment he is with a specialist and will see how long he is out of the team. We have other players, we know all of us know that Tyler is a key player for us but we have to manage with the squad we have. We have other players ready for the next game.