Healy has 'absolutely no doubt' over Cooper future

Joel Cooper has been linked with a move to Coleraine

Linfield manager David Healy says there is "absolutely no doubt" that Joel Cooper will be playing for the club at the start of the January transfer window.

Cooper has been heavily linked with a move to Irish Premiership rivals Coleraine.

The 28-year-old has yet to agree a new deal with Linfield and his current contract expires at the end of the season.

The winger struck a second-half winner in Tuesday's 1-0 victory over Dungannon Swifts, which sent Linfield 11 points clear at the top of the table.

Cooper has been one of the standout players this season and his strike at Stangmore Park was his 11th league goal of the campaign.

"Joel has picked up his fifth yellow today so he will miss the Glenavon game on Saturday," Healy told BBC Sport NI when asked about Cooper's future.

"Am I confident he'll be back for Boxing Day? One million percent.

"Joel will be playing on Boxing Day. We'll look forward to hopefully more goals and more moments like what Joel has contributed, tonight and throughout his the majority of the time throughout his Linfield career."

When asked if he anticipates Cooper remaining a Linfield player heading into the January transfer window, Healy said: "He'll be staying.

"We play Larne on the 30th (of December), then we play Wellington Rec on the fourth (of January) and then Carrick on the 11th.

"I've absolutely no doubt that Joel Cooper will be playing in every single one of those games."

Healy said there had been "talk from elsewhere" and his players had not been distracted by the reports on Cooper's future ahead of the game.

Coleraine, who are eighth in the table and some 18 points behind the Blues, have been linked with Cooper after fresh investment from Henry Ross earlier in the season.

"There's no talk in our place. The only talk here was concentrating on the job at hand against Dungannon," he added.

"Others will speculate, others will talk, others will be certain, others will know and others will star rumours etc.

"Joel will miss Saturday and then he'll be back involved for the Glentoran game for the big game we have at the Oval on Boxing Day."