Phil Hay details why Kalvin Phillips is missing for Leeds v Huddersfield
Marcelo Bielsa was expected to announce an unchanged Leeds United starting XI for the game against Huddersfield.
However, Kalvin Phillips is a shock omission. He hadn’t looked 100% fit in the 4-0 win against Hull last weekend but Bielsa had said he was going to field the same squad in his pre-match press conference.
However, Phillips misses out which is a huge blow for Leeds.
Athletic journalist Phil Hay tweeted to say that it was “the same problem as before”, which is the dead calf that Phillips picked up in the win against Reading.
That will hopefully mean he’s not out for an extended period, with Leeds fans looking ahead to the huge game against Fulham in around 10 days.
He added that Bielsa had hoped Phillips was going to be fit for the Huddersfield game and that he should have a “good chance for next week”.
Gaetano Berardi comes in for Phillips as he did to great effect in the win against Middlesbrough.
Phillips has missed five games this season and ironically one was against Huddersfield that Leeds won 2-0 in December.
Elsewhere, Patrick Bamford gets another chance for Leeds despite Tyler Roberts’ brace off the bench against Hull.
That had led to some Leeds fans calling for the 21-year-old to get a start, although others were happy to keep things rolling and use Roberts off the bench if needed.
The team news was announced on the official Leeds Twitter page ahead of the 3pm kick-off at Elland Road.
There’s been some good news for Leeds ahead of their game.
Nottingham Forest lost in a shock 3-0 result to Hull at the City Ground on Friday night and that led to their manager Sabri Lamouchi conceding the play-offs is the best they can hope for.
More importantly, Fulham drew 1-1 with Bristol City in the lunchtime kick-off.
That leaves Leeds four points ahead of third with the Huddersfield game to play.
That’s the sort of chance they really need to take.
In other Leeds United news, Worrying news for massive clash v Fulham emerges