Kalvin Phillips undergoes surgery on hamstring injury
By Tom Gott
Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips has undergone surgery on the hamstring injury he picked up against Brentford earlier this month.
Phillips hobbled off in the second half of the 2-2 draw with Brentford and missed the 3-2 loss to Chelsea as a result of the problem, which most assumed was a pretty nasty injury almost as soon as it happened.
According to The Athletic, the 26-year-old has been forced under the knife to repair the issue and is now expected to miss two months of action while he recovers.
Marcelo Bielsa is dealing with a real injury crisis right now, with Phillips one of six regular starters who are currently sidelined through injury.
The boss remains without defensive trio Robin Koch, Pascal Struijk and Liam Cooper, while forwards Rodrigo and Patrick Bamford are both out injured. The bench for the Chelsea game featured eight players under the age of 21, with veteran midfielder Mateusz Klich the only senior charge available.
Phillips' absence meant Adam Forshaw was deployed at the base of Leeds' midfield, and he'll likely share the minutes over the next two months with Klich and, if he returns, Struijk.
To compile the misery, Leeds' fixture list is brutal. They face Manchester City on Tuesday, Arsenal on Saturday and then Liverpool the following weekend.
Bielsa's men, who have won just three games all season, have fallen to 15th in the Premier League table, five points clear of the relegation zone having played one game more than Burnley in 18th.
The festive period includes crucial games against Burnley, Newcastle and a double-header with Aston Villa, all of which Phillips is expected to miss while he recovers from this latest setback.