Life on the pitch may be going superb for Leeds United at present, but off the pitch, it just isn't their year whatsoever.

Their injury woes continued at the weekend, with Liam Cooper being forced off, before Marcelo Bielsa labelled it as a "serious" knee injury.

The Whites have had a back-four out with injury on separate occasions this term, and with Luke Ayling out with injury, the Yorkshire club simply cannot afford to sustain any more injuries to key players, or their bid for promotion may be halted.

Bielsa's men secured yet another crucial win at the weekend - this time against promotion rivals and Yorkshire counterparts Sheffield United after a late strike from Pablo Hernandez.

The Whites are now up to 2nd in the Championship standings and find themselves sitting just one point off table-toppers Norwich City, and they look the real deal for promotion, it must be said.

Here, we take a look at four defensive targets that Victor Orta must be lining up for Leeds United in January...

An obvious shout would be Aberdeen defender Scott McKenna - the Scottish international has been superb for the Dons this season.

The centre-half has been solid figure for the SPL side this term, and has reportedly attracted the interest of Premier League side Wolves as well as Aston Villa and Celtic over the last couple of months.

At 22-years old, McKenna has already captained the Scottish national team, and is exactly what Leeds need - a young, hungry, proven defender.

Another option could be Arsenal's Konstantinos Mavropanos.

The Greek signed for Arsenal in January for a reported fee of around £1.8million, making just three appearances for the Gunners during the latter stages of Arsene Wenger's tenure at the Emirates Stadium.

Having failed to make an appearance for the London club this season though, perhaps a loan move away would be beneficial for the 20-year old's progress, and standing at 6-foot-4, he could add some real presence to the Leeds back-line.

Portsmouth's Matt Clarke could prove to be a very adequate signing for the Whites.

As well as sitting at the top of the League One table, Portsmouth also boast the defensive record in the league, with Clarke featuring in every single game this term.

At 22 years of age, Clarke already has over 120 career appearances under his belt and has already proven himself to be one of the best defenders in the lower leagues.

This could definitely be worth exploring.

With his future reportedly up in arms at West Ham United, Bielsa would be smart to approach Oxford's services on a loan deal.

Once regarded as the next big thing in England, Oxford's career has somewhat stagnated, and he now finds himself surplus to requirements at the London Stadium after a two-year loan stint at Borussia Monchengladbach.

At 19 years of age, Oxford still has years to grow ahead of him, and he could be a really solid signing for Leeds.