Eddie Gray brushes off Leeds United injury crisis amid major Kalvin Phillips blow
By Joe Ellis
Eddie Gray believes Leeds United are more than good enough to stay in the Premier League despite an injury to key midfielder Kalvin Phillips.
The 2-2 draw with Brentford on Sunday saw both Phillips and central defender Liam Cooper limp off with injuries and some unconfirmed reports yesterday [Wednesday] suggested that England international Phillips could face up to two months on the sidelines [Telegraph].
Gray however thinks that Leeds are still much better off than other teams in the division which he believes will see the Whites safe come May.
“Injuries are a problem for all sides,” the LUTV pundit told the Yorkshire Evening Post. “The thing about it is that you look at sides and people go on about injuries and that’s right.”
“But if you take say three or players out of the Chelsea side and took four players out of their side then they would struggle.
“Not every team has got 17 or 18 top class players that can play every week so for teams lower down the table it’s probably more of a hindrance because of the strength in depth that the other clubs have got.”
The glue to Leeds’ gung-ho
Phillips has been arguably the club’s most integral player since Marcelo Bielsa arrived at Elland Road in 2018 and his absence has been felt in every game he has been unavailable.
The 26-year-old, who came through the academy at Leeds, has a tenacity and bite to his game that saw him form a partnership with Declan Rice in the England midfield on their way to the Euro 2020 final and without him, Leeds’ high press loses its effectiveness.
He could be replaced in that role by Pascal Struijk who has deputised in the holding midfield role in the past but the Dutch player doesn’t possess the same front-foot thinking as Phillips and opposing teams have found it easier to get out from the press without him to worry about.
Bielsa has been stubborn so far in his belief in the constant pressure and attacking mentality he has implemented at Elland Road but without Phillips and Patrick Bamford still not fully fit, the Argentinian may have to tone things down to get the best out of the available players when they head to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea on Saturday.
In other Leeds United news, a British club has tabled a bid to sign a player who was bombed out of Elland Road by Bielsa.