Leeds United fans were mightily concerned when Kalvin Phillips went off injured against Reading on Saturday.
Supporters cried out that their season was over and that any hopes of promotion were dashed in one single moment, but their worries will have now been alleviated as the manager has said that the midfielder’s injury isn’t that serious, even stating that he’s confident he will play on Wednesday.
However, he may be making the wrong call on this one.
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With 12 games to go you can understand why Marcelo Bielsa wants to play his strongest side in every match, but he shouldn’t be taking unnecessary risks.
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The Argentine stated in his press conference on Tuesday that he’s confident Phillips will come through the pain of his injury to play against Middlesbrough.
While having the 24-year-old on the pitch will undoubtedly be a boost, you can’t help but feel that the Whites are taking a massive gamble that isn’t needed.
Could backfire
First and foremost, lining up with a player who isn’t 100 per cent could have a negative impact on the team’s fortunes as he could be slightly off the pace due to his issue.
However, that isn’t the only reason why Leeds shouldn’t be playing Phillips.
Playing through the pain could easily lead to the midfielder aggravating his current problem, putting him out for some of the more important games of United’s season.
Leeds beat Middlesbrough 4-0 the last time the two sides met in what was their biggest win of the season, and if we’re being honest, United should be able to beat Jonathan Woodgate’s 21st-placed outfit without even coming out of second gear.
Bielsa is wrong to play Phillips when he isn’t 100%, and this is a move that could easily backfire.
In other news, Leeds may spend big without actually improving upon promotion.