Leeds United team news: Kalvin Phillips absence 'not defined' as Marcelo Bielsa outlines replacement plan and provides injury updates

PASCAL Struijk will replace the injured Kalvin Phillips during the Leeds United midfielder's absence with a shoulder injury with head coach Marcelo Bielsa unsure how long Phillips will be out for.
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Leeds announced on Tuesday afternoon that Phillips had suffered a shoulder injury and was facing up to six weeks out due to the setback picked up in Monday night's 1-0 defeat at home to Wolves.

Phillips still played the full game in which United centre-back Struijk was substituted with 15 minutes left after appearing to pick up a knock when slipping shortly before Raul Jimenez netted the only goal of the game.

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Bielsa, though, said that Struijk would replace Phillips in the holding midfield role ahead of Friday night's clash at Aston Villa for which centre-back Diego Llorente remains out with a groin problem with a similar issue leaving skipper Liam Cooper as a doubt.

WHITES PLAN: Pascal Struijk, centre, will replace the injured Kalvin Phillips, left, in the Leeds United holding midfield role. Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images.WHITES PLAN: Pascal Struijk, centre, will replace the injured Kalvin Phillips, left, in the Leeds United holding midfield role. Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images.
WHITES PLAN: Pascal Struijk, centre, will replace the injured Kalvin Phillips, left, in the Leeds United holding midfield role. Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images.

Cooper and Llorente both picked up groin injuries on international duty with Scotland and Spain respectively with Llorente thought to be facing three weeks out but Cooper expected to be back within a fortnight.

United's captain was then named in the starting XI of Monday's clash against Wolves but had to pull out of the match day squad after encountering problems in the warm up.

Asked firstly about his options in the holding midfield role with Phillips out, Bielsa said: "I didn’t have the definitive amount of time that Phillips will be out for - I understand the information is incorrect.

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"It’s not defined how long he will be out for - It could be more or it could be less. The one who will play in his place will be Pascal.

"I can’t confirm whether Cooper will be available or not as we’re two days away from the game and we’re still not sure."

Asked about Llorente, Bielsa said: "He won’t be available for this Friday’s game."

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