George Cooper: Plymouth Argyle defender faces 'big year' after knee surgery

George Cooper joined Argyle on a permanent deal in September 2020 having spent the previous season on loan at Plymouth

Plymouth Argyle defender George Cooper faces a "big year" as he begins his recovery from knee surgery, says manager Steven Schumacher.

The 25-year-old had a second operation last week that will rule him out for the rest of the season.

Cooper's current deal at Home Park runs until the summer of 2023.

"He's got that year left to make sure he gets himself right, but I think he understands as well that it'll be a big year for him," Schumacher said.

"It's not as major an operation as his first one. He gets it that he needs to come back and get himself right and get back playing again because that year will go quick as well."

Cooper's career at Argyle has been hampered by his knee injury, which saw the former Peterborough and Crewe defender first undergo surgery in January 2021.

'Deep, dark places'

He made a brief return in August before playing against Charlton in League One in November and played the first 55 minutes of the FA Cup win at Rochdale early last month.

But the injury flared up again, needing more surgery and hampering an Argyle career that has seen him play just 19 times since his move from Peterborough was made permanent in September 2020.

"He's back home at the moment in the first stage of his rehab," Schumacher added.

"The longest I was ever out for was nine months and mentally it's the worst thing to try and get your head around it.

"Coming back when you're in and around the lads is great, but when you're on your own and you're in the gym you go to some deep, dark places at times, but you've just got to get through it.

"If you don't get through it right then you never fully recover, so for George I'm sure he fully understands that now he's got to focus and get his knee right and come back and be the player that we all know and want him to be."