Strachan heaps praise on 'irreplaceable' Leeds star, makes comparison to Dalglish

Gordon Strachan has compared the importance of Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips to Kenny Dalglish.

The title-winning skipper claimed that the Whites will find it hard to replace the suspended enforcer in their next three games, just as Scotland did after losing the influential attacker.

Phillips will miss games against Millwall, Wigan, and Nottingham Forest after his late card in the 1-0 defeat against Queens Park Rangers.

Despite that rash challenge by Phillips, Strachan couldn't help but heap praise on the influential midfielder.

"What a good player he is," Strachan said on the Noel Whelan show.

When asked how Leeds could replace the 24-year-old over the next three matches, the Scottish icon was left scratching his head.

"Well, you don't really, if you've not got anybody to replace him.

"I think somebody said that about when Scotland lost Kenny Dalglish, they said he was irreplaceable, absolutely irreplaceable."

Adam Forshaw would have been the likely man to replace Phillips, but his problematic hip injury has left Marcelo Bielsa limited in his options.

Ben White, Stuart Dallas, or Jamie Shackleton could replace the 24-year-old, but none of those would massively suit the role - the Brighton loanee, White, proved that against Huddersfield earlier in the campaign. The 22-year-old only completed 36 passes at a dreadful success rate of 61.1% in that clash, his worst of the season [WhoScored].

Carlos Corberan only gave Alfie McCalmont 30 minutes in the under-23s against Wolves on Friday, and he is one of the only out-and-out holding midfielders available to Leeds at this moment in time.

In other Leeds United news, Whites willing to sell 23-year-old in January after recent new arrival