Paul Robinson: I’m almost certain Kalvin Phillips will start in Leeds United v Man United
We’re delighted to welcome former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson as our exclusive columnist. Each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at Leeds United…
Paul Robinson is “almost certain” that Kalvin Phillips will start for Leeds United when they take on Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday.
Leeds begin their second season back in the Premier League with a huge fixture against their biggest rivals.
However, there have been doubts about whether Phillips, 25, will make Marcelo Bielsa’s starting line-up as he’s not long returned from his holiday.
Phillips wowed Europe with his performances for England at the European Championships this summer and has only played a couple of times in pre-season for the Whites upon returning.
He played against Ajax’s youth team before coming off the bench against Villarreal at half-time last week.
Even though some may have concerns about Phillips’ match-readiness, Robinson does not because he feels as though the midfielder’s fitness won’t have dipped too much after the Euros ended.
Speaking to MOT Leeds News, Robinson said: “I think he’ll start. I’m almost certain he’ll play – he’s that important for Leeds.
“For those who watched Leeds closely, we saw how fit he was last season with the engine he’s got and the way he gets around the pitch.
“I think most of Europe stood up and took notice of his capabilities during the European Championships so I’ve got no doubt about his fitness level.
“Players of that calibre and that level of fitness don’t lose their fitness in three weeks, since the Euros. He only had two weeks off, as we know, and he’s come back into training and got some game-time under his belt.”
Phillips played 29 times in the Premier League for Leeds last season and out of the nine fixtures he missed due to injury, the Yorkshire club had a record of two wins and seven losses.
It’s vital that he plays against Man United at Old Trafford on Saturday to give us our best shot at getting our season off to a flying start.
In other Leeds United news, the Whites have made an approach to sign this English forward whose value is soaring.