MOT View: Potential Leeds disaster on horizon as 2 Bielsa mainstays in danger of being sidelined
Leeds United have played 14 games in the Premier League. There are another five to go before accumulated yellow cards get wiped for any player on four or less.
There are two Leeds players walking the suspension tightrope and you couldn’t pick two worse names to lose.
Both Kalvin Phillips and Mateusz Klich are sitting on four yellows cards and will get a one-game suspension if they get one more.
That also opens them up to a two-game suspension later in the season if they reach 10 yellows.
Anyone getting to 19 games will get their cards wiped.
Phillips has lasted longer than last season when he was banned for one game after picking up his fifth yellow of the season at the end of November against Middlesbrough.
However, it’s going to be tough for the combative midfielder to go five games without another card.
Those five games are Burnley, West Brom, Tottenham, Brighton and Southampton.
Klich picked up eight yellow cards last season but avoided suspension with four on either side of the amnesty.
Losing either one of them would be bad for Leeds – both players are absolutely critical to the Bielsa system
However, losing both at the same time would be an absolute disaster.
It would strip Leeds of the spine of their midfield and there’s no real cover for either of them. Combined with the issues that Leeds have in defence, we’d have serious concerns.
Getting both through the next five games seems unlikely but it would be a huge boost for Leeds if they can keep their noses clean.
In other Leeds United news, ‘Definitely not’: Dermot Gallagher delivers verdict on controversial incident from Leeds v Man U