Leeds employee issues verdict on Kalvin Phillips and star teammate returning to XI after early team news
Leeds United could be handed a “massive boost” if Liam Cooper and Kalvin Phillips can return to the lineup against Southampton.
That is the view of former Whites striker Noel Whelan, speaking exclusively to Football Insider in the wake of a big injury update from the Elland Road club.
Leeds United revealed via club media on Sunday (27 March) that Phillips and Cooper have trained over the international break and will currently be available to play minutes against Southampton on Saturday (2 April).
The duo have been sidelined since limping off in the same fixture in December 2021 – a 2-2 draw against Brentford.
Meanwhile, injury-plagued striker Patrick Bamford could miss the rest of the season after rupturing his plantar fascia.
When asked if Marsch will be wary about starting Phillips and Cooper after Bamford’s unfortunate problems, Whelan told Football Insider‘s Ewan Kingsbury: “I think it’s a different scenario than with Patrick.
“With Kalvin and Liam, they’ve had their niggles – but it’s just one injury, rather than two or three problems.
“It will have been two weeks since they were on the bench by the time of the game on Saturday.
“They will have been going through a massive training program through this international break, and that will have given Jesse Marsch a big indication of where they are at.
“That training will have built confidence and fitness up, and it would be a massive boost to get them back into that line-up.
“We need to go out there and keep the pressure on that bottom three.”
Leeds United have won four of 15 games since Phillips and Cooper’s injuries just before the festive period.
The Whites sit 16th in the Premier League – seven points clear of relegation danger.
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