Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Joe Urquhart has claimed Kalvin Phillips will “100 per cent” be in the Leeds United starting XI against Middlesbrough on Saturday.
Speaking on the latest edition of the Inside Elland Road podcast (17:10), the correspondent agreed with host Phil Hay that Marcelo Bielsa will hand the Elland Road academy product a recall for the Championship clash, into the midfield anchorman position ahead of Adam Forshaw.
“I think he 100 per cent comes back into that role,” Urquhart said. “Phillips offers a bit more physical presence and range of passing. He has to come back in.
“If you’ve got someone on Phillips’ calibre, it’s 100 per cent got be him for Boro.”
OPINION
Given how Leeds came out an unarguable second best to Norwich City last weekend, it is a no-brainer that Phillips is recalled to the starting XI. It was odd, even without the benefit of hindsight, that he was not in the side for the top-versus-second clash at Elland Road after the resumption of the Pontus Jansson-Liam Cooper partnership provided the opportunity for the 23-year-old to step back into his favourite central midfield role. Bielsa spurned that opportunity and selected Forshaw behind Mateusz Klich and Tyler Roberts, but it did not work even though the former Middlesbrough man had a perfectly adequate performance. Forshaw might be even more effective further forward, allowing Phillips to shield the defence and launch attacks with a wide range of passing that was so crucial to Leeds’ early-season excellence. There’s no doubt Phillips must make his 28th league start of the season this weekend.