Speaking on a recent episode of The Phil Hay Show, the journalist discussed the absence of Leeds United’s Kalvin Phillips and the club’s lack of cover for the midfielder.
Making his debut for Leeds as a 19-year-old back in 2015, Phillips has gone on to become a crucial part of the United side, featuring 186 times for the club, chipping in with 12 goals and providing 11 assists along the way.
Last season, the £19.8 million-rated 24-year-old highly impressed in the club’s Championship-winning campaign, scoring two goals and providing two assists over his 37 appearances in the second tier, averaging a WhoScored match rating of 7.22 – ranking him as the club’s joint second-best performer in the league.
The England international’s fine form had continued this season, too, with the midfielder providing one assist over his five Premier League appearances, averaging a WhoScored match rating of 6.94.
However, an injury picked up in Marcelo Bielsa’s side’s defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers has ruled Phillips out for up to six weeks, and the absence of the midfielder was one topic of conversation on a recent episode of The Phil Hay Show, with Hay stating that Leeds have no direct replacement for the 24-year-old.
He said: “I always think of Phillips as the player that really has no like-for-like cover and the player that Leeds need to improvise with slightly when he’s out.
“Bielsa said that himself two years ago, I remember speaking to him about this and him saying, ‘it’s best for us if Phillips just plays every game’ – and he wasn’t exactly joking.
“At no point, have Leeds ever tried to go for another out-and-out defensive-mid, another number four.
“They’ve got Adam Forshaw, but I don’t really look at Forshaw as a direct comparison to Phillips – he’s similar in some ways, but Phillips is such a specialist.”
Do you think Leeds need to strengthen in defensive midfield?
Yes
No
TIF Thoughts on Phil Hay’s comments regarding the lack of cover for Kalvin Phillips…
From Hay’s comments, it would appear as if the journalist is indeed of the opinion that Leeds do not have sufficient cover for Phillips, and, with only Ouasim Bouy and Conor Shaughnessy in the club’s first-team squad as out-and-out defensive midfielders, both of whom have not featured for Leeds this season, it would indeed appear that there is a lack in depth in Phillips’ position.