Medical expert names new Kalvin Phillips return date as ‘whole dynamic has changed’ at Leeds
Kalvin Phillips’ Leeds United return date has been pushed back to mid-March.
That is the view of injury expert Ben Dinnery, who runs the Premier Injuries site and has a background in medicine and data analysis.
Phillips, who is now back in training, has been out of action with a hamstring injury since early December.
The 26-year-old midfielder has played his last match under Marcelo Bielsa after the Argentine was replaced by Jesse Marsch earlier this week.
Bielsa told the Yorkshire Evening Post last Friday (25 February) it “doesn’t seem like it’s going to be the case” that Phillips will be back in early March.
Dinnery suggests that Marsch’s arrival has “changed the whole” dynamic and that Phillips’ return to play has been pushed back.
“We were working on the assumption of what we’ve been told by Bielsa,” he told Football Insider‘s Adam Williams.
“The initial timeline was always going to be around the 12-week period. With the new manager, that has changed the whole dynamic as well.
“Up until a fortnight ago, Phillips was expected to return in early March. That’s highly unlikely to happen now. But I think mid-March is realistic.
“I’m not aware of any major setbacks. He has been such a huge miss to the club.
“But with the amount of coverage there is these days, you can see someone back in training and assume he’s ready to play again.
“But I’m always banging the drum that a return to training is not a return to play.
“There are lots of exercises that a player needs to get through to be in position to return.
“Whether it’s 13 weeks or 14, weeks, it doesn’t make sense to rush him back.“
Marsch, whose last job was with RB Leipzig, will take charge of his first game against Leicester City on Saturday (5 March).
Phillips has registered one goal and one assist in 15 outings this term.
In other news, pundit digs at Marcelo Bielsa after Phil Hay’s Leeds United reveal.