"James Forrest has a taste for goals just now - I've got no worries about him being out of the Celtic side"

Cooper has helped Leeds, where he has been made the captain, go top of the Sky Bet Championship this season with a string of assured performances at the back.

The 26-year-old, who qualifies to play for this country due to a grandfather who was born in Bo’ness, has never represented his adopted homeland despite twice being drafted into the squad.

Yet, Strachan, whose side must win both of the games to clinch a World Cup play-off spot, is confident the defender could make the step up to international football in the forthcoming double header if required.

“Christophe Berra and Charlie have been smashing in the last few games,” he said. “Christophe can be really pleased with himself. He has been really solid and he’s also a goal threat. And we all know what Charlie can do. But Cooper could come in and play, no problem at all.

“He’s playing regularly every week. Last year he was in and out. And I think, for the bigger lads, it’s imperative that they play regularly. You find that in pre-season, the smaller guys get fit quicker, their movement is better while the bigger guys take a while.

“Liam is now playing every week and he’s the captain now. I think the only negative result they’ve had is when he wasn’t playing, so that shows you his influence on the team. He’s a good passer of the ball and he’s learning the game all the time.

“I think central defenders are at their best from about 28 until maybe 34, so it takes a lot longer to learn the game, whereas forwards can play off instinct. He is a good age. But I’m not here to bring them on.

“Leeds are on a high. You try to bring in people who are on a high. You can’t always do it because everybody can’t be on a high every time we get together. But we try to build a squad that works well and we’re not taking a gamble on anybody, put it that way.”

Meanwhile, Strachan has stressed that he has no concerns about either James Forrest, the Celtic winger, Ryan Fraser, the Bournemouth midfielder, and Andy Robertson, the Liverpool left back, not being regular starters for their clubs sides in recent weeks.

“I think James scored four goals recently,” he said. “James has the taste for goals and that’s good for me and remember Patrick Roberts is a right good player as well.

"Being in and out the team can happen at a good club with a big squad. Ryan Fraser is the same at Bournemouth. It’s not a big thing. They’ve missed one or two games.

“I am not worried about Andy at all. He has been playing regularly for the last couple of years. He played against Leicester the other night in the cup and he was brilliant. Liverpool should have won that game so easily.

“He will be coming off that thinking ‘I played well there’. And that was only last week. So I don’t have a problem with him.

“People like Ikechi Anya, that’s a bit different. But I still think he’s a wee fellow that can go on the pitch. Chris Martin is a different proposition. Chris is only getting 30 minutes at the moment, coming on as a sub. We’ve not got the perfect squad, that’s for sure.”

Strachan has once again selected six Celtic players – Stuart Armstrong, Scott Brown, James Forrest, Craig Gordon, Leigh Griffiths and Kieran Tierney – in his squad.

However, the 60-year-old stressed he would not be watching the Parkhead club’s Champions League match against Anderlecht tomorrow night or their Ladbrokes Premiership game against Hibs in Glasgow on Saturday hoping none of them gets injured.

“No. I’ll not be,” he said. “I never saw the Celtic-Rangers game because I’m away watching other players. They get on with it. If you said you were going to watch Scott Brown, Leigh Griffiths and Craig Gordon, people would say ‘are you daft?

“Go and watch somebody else, just in case there is somebody else out there who might be ready to come into the squad. So, no, I’ve learned that now. Don’t start picking your team till Sunday when they all get together.”