Pilgrims suffer a blow as Cooper needs operation
PLYMOUTH Argyle left wingback George Cooper is set to have a knee operation, manager Ryan Lowe has revealed.
The Pilgrims’ boss was reluctant to put a timescale on how long the 24-year-old would be out of action until the surgery has been carried out. However, Lowe admitted Cooper would probably be missing for a couple of months.
As a result, Lowe is going to look into the possibility of signing a replacement for Cooper at left wingback.
Conor Grant has been used in that role in recent matches but prefers to play in central midfield.
Lowe said: “We have lost Coops for a little while now. He is going to get an operation on his knee in the next seven to 10 days.
“So we will look to do some business down that side. We have got Conor doing a great job for us at the moment but he likes to play in the eight role.”
Lowe was set to have a meeting with Argyle chief executive Andrew Parkinson and director of football Neil Dewsnip yesterday afternoon.
He said: “It has got to be players going for us to get players in, but with George being out for a short while there might be a case that we can maybe do something down that side.”
Cooper first felt soreness in his knee during the 1-0 League One defeat at Peterborough United on November 24.
However, it was not until after the Pilgrims lost 2-1 away to Crewe Alexandra on December 15 that it became clear that Cooper could not continue playing.
Lowe said: “It’s something behind his knee. He felt it at Crewe - he was going to come off in the first five minutes but he didn’t want to.
“Because he has tried to play on with it, it has probably made it a little bit worse. That’s just the way George is - he didn’t want to come off.”
He added: “We had the advice off the specialist and he said the best thing to do was operate on it and then hopefully George will be right as rain in the near future.”
Lowe insisted that Cooper, who was signed on a three-year contract from Peterborough United at the start of September, would not be rushed back into action.
He said: “If we can we would love to have him back towards the back end of the season. It’s 25 games in 20 weeks - that flies by.
“What we won’t do, though, is we won’t rush him back. We will make sure it’s right.
“We don’t need to rush anyone back. We want to make sure these injuries don’t reoccur. If you rush things they tend to do.
“At the moment there is no timescale on it but he will certainly be missing for probably the next couple of months.”
Meanwhile, Argyle have completed their first piece of player business for the January transfer window.
Scottish goalkeeper Jack Ruddy has agreed a contract extension with the Pilgrims until the end of the season.
The 23-year-old signed a shortterm deal at the start of September after a shoulder injury to Luke McCormick.
Ruddy was the back-up to first choice’ keeper Mike Cooper, who has been an ever present in League One this term, until McCormick returned to fitness.
McCormick has been among the substitutes for the games since then, with Ruddy not making the matchday squad.
Lowe said: “We are very pleased to be able to extend Jack’s deal with us until the end of the season.
“Having three goalkeepers in the first team squad is a positive for us, and Jack’s attitude and application in training has been first class.”
Ruddy started two of Argyle’s three EFL Trophy group games earlier this season - the defeats by Norwich City Under-21s at Home Park (3-2) and away to Cheltenham Town (2-0).