Stoke City v Leeds United: Marcelo Bielsa's providing perfect recipe for Liam Cooper's best season yet

The key factors contributing to what is shaping up to being skipper Liam Cooper's best ever season at Leeds United which the captain is dreaming of ending with promotion to the Premier League.

Four and a half years after signing from Chesterfield in August 2014, Cooper will take in the 21st game of a highly productive campaign when leading out United at today's Championship hosts Stoke City with Leeds top of the pile.

But as part of his best season yet for United, Cooper admits he had not envisaged being back from injury in time for today's clash at the Bet365 Stadium having damaged his knee in the 1-0 win at Sheffield United on December 1.

Due to the quick thinking of head of medicine and performance Rob Price, Cooper was flown to Italy to undergo an operation with the defender then back in the Whites side for last Friday's 2-0 win at home to Derby County - a return that Cooper says was between a week and two weeks earlier than expected.

Still benefiting from the work of a demanding pre-season and operating under a world class manager in Bielsa, Cooper is now raring to go ahead of today's clash at the Potters and thriving in his fifth full season at Elland Road.

"Things are brilliant, absolutely brilliant," said Cooper, reflecting on his own form at Leeds.

"I had a couple of seasons struggling to adapt back to the Championship but this season I got myself fit, I stayed well in the off-season and came back and picked up all the tactics and formation.

"We had a very tough pre-season and I think that's one of the biggest things with me this year, I have been fit and I have been able to get through games a lot easier and that's credit to the pre-season we had and all the information that we have taken on board as well."

Reflecting on the influence of Bielsa, Cooper admitted: "As soon as he speaks he has you enticed.

"Everybody is listening and everybody is all ears and we we have said the same from day one.

"He comes and he demands respect and he respects us as players and what a chance to go and show yourself in front of one of the best managers in the world.

"The lads bought into it and from day one it's been the same message, work hard and you will get he rewards and we have managed to do that so far."

Cooper has excelled at centre back this season but the 27-year-old's campaign looked set to be seriously disrupted when falling down injured in the 1-0 win at Sheffield United on the first day of December.

The Whites skipper says his return is testament to the talents of Price and his medical staff.

"They have been different class, all of them," said Cooper.

"There's too many to name but they have all been different class and they got me back maybe one week/two weeks ahead of schedule.

"It could have been a lot worse but Rob thought fast and I had my operation three days after the incident and back in five weeks, it's not bad at all."

Six weeks after that injury, Cooper is now preparing for today's clash at Stoke with a quick return meaning a return to some of Bielsa's bedtime reading.

The Whites head coach made international headlines this week with his Wednesday press conference to digest the fall out of spygate - showing his detailed research and planning - and Cooper admits each and every Whites player is given their own piece of homework on United's next opposition to take away.

Cooper explained: "Maybe a couple of days before the opponent we will have a meeting and individual meetings as well and he will tell us what we need to do in the game and what we can do better and the lads take that sheet of paper and they look at it.

"It's all printed out, all the key points and we will look at that before we go to bed on a night or during the day or whatever before the game and it definitely helps."

Helping Leeds - and helping Cooper - who appears in the best form of his career, naturally raising shouts for the defender to earn a recall to the Scotland national side.

Cooper qualifies to play for the Tartan Army through his grandparents and has yet to make his Scotland debut despite previous call ups.

"To be fair I just worry about my club football, the rest will take care of itself," said Cooper.

"But if I am doing my job here then things might come along but everything at the minute is for Leeds United and that's it."

Asked what would it mean to be the captain that finally took Leeds back to the Premier League, Cooper admitted: "It would mean the world to me.

"But it's in the back of my head.

"The biggest thing right now is the game on Saturday and that's all our focus is going on."