Kalvin Phillips handed Leeds United contract opportunity after teammate misfortune

Losing key players to serious injuries has been the long-running theme of Leeds United's 2021/22 campaign.

Patrick Bamford, Liam Cooper, Kalvin Phillips and Robin Koch have all spent sizeable chunks of the season on the treatment table, while Tyler Roberts, Adam Forshaw, Crysencio Summerville and Stuart Dallas will not kick a ball until next season.

Dallas' femoral fracture in Saturday's 4-0 defeat by Manchester City was a sickening blow to a squad and a stadium already licking their wounds, having seen Liam Cooper limp out of the warm-up ahead of kick-off.

Minus a captain as well as the team's 'heart and soul', Leeds shipped three more to eventually lose 4-0.

During Cooper's most recent three-month absence, Leeds conceded 45 goals in 15 matches - a record they will look to avoid repeating if the Scottish international is sidelined for an extended period of time.

Dallas, though, will certainly miss several months whilst his fractured femur - a break usually associated with car accidents and similarly high-impact events - is repaired.

It leaves Jesse Marsch with dwindling stock of leaders.

Shortly after arriving at Thorp Arch, Marsch coined the phrase 'leadership council'. He used it to describe a group of seven senior players who would become his dressing room go-betweens.

Cooper, the now-unavailable Dallas, injured pair Adam Forshaw and Patrick Bamford, as well as stand-in captain Luke Ayling, foreign representative Rodrigo and youngest member of the sub-group Kalvin Phillips were Marsch's selections.

The American hinted at a possible return for England striker Bamford this coming weekend, but the stop-start nature of his season, plagued by several separate injuries and a concurrent plantar fascia problem, means it is unlikely he will feature at Arsenal.

If that is to be the case, Marsch will be without four of his appointed dressing room chiefs, leaving just Ayling, Rodrigo and Phillips to guide the team through some of the most consequential fixtures in the club's recent history.

Ayling has stepped up to wear the physical armband on several occasions and is widely regarded as a trustworthy deputy in Cooper's absence, but the likes of Forshaw and Dallas in particular have been praised for their leadership qualities, even without the captaincy.

Rodrigo's form since Marsch's appointment also suggests he has resonated with the change in managerial style, relishing increased responsibility behind-the-scenes at Thorp Arch.

That leaves Kalvin Phillips, who along with Rodrigo, was handpicked by Marsch, added to the existing quintet to make up the seven-man 'council'.

At 26 years-old, Phillips is no longer a youngster, but remains the affable, unassuming person he has come to be recognised as. Now, he has been challenged by his new head coach to demonstrate and develop his ability as a leader.

"Kalvin's work ethic, his presence, his professionalism, his desire to learn. It's fantastic. He's a pleasure to work with," head coach Marsch said.

"My goal is to push him to be as good as I know he can be, to really make it more intensive, to expand his role within the group from a leadership perspective and challenge him to push himself every day."

The England midfielder's deep roots to the local area are likely a contributory factor to his membership of the leadership group, as well as tenacity on the pitch which so endearingly juxtaposes his boyish charm.

Simply, Leeds win more than they lose with Phillips in the team, and lose more than they win without him.

Cooper, Dallas, Ayling and Forshaw have largely sheltered Phillips from the burden of responsibility, but given injury to integral personnel, the onus will fall increasingly upon Phillips' shoulders over the next four matches.

Leading by example would strengthen the pursuit of a more lucrative prize in the ongoing contract negotiations expected to be resolved this summer.