Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa is taking a risk with Kalvin Phillips omission v Norwich

Add as preferred source on Google

Leeds United host Norwich City on Saturday evening, as first meets second in the Championship at Elland Road.

Marcelo Bielsa’s team currently sit top of the league, but their upcoming opponents are just three points behind them and also in pursuit of promotion this season.

The Whites beat Norwich 3-0 earlier in the season on the road and would love a repeat scoreline this time around.

Manager Bielsa has continued his recent trend of announcing his starting XI in the build up to Leeds’ games and he’s confirmed (official website) that Kalvin Phillips has been axed from the team.

Phillips has been a mainstay in the starting XI this season for the Yorkshire giants and one of the club’s most consistent performers, but he will be on the bench for arguably the biggest fixture of the campaign so far.

The 23-year-old has usually sat in the deep-lying midfield role, but has also dropped in at centre-back when required due to injury problems in the squad.

Phillips has to be in the running for the club’s best player this season, but teammate Adam Forshaw has got the nod ahead of him on Saturday.

Norwich are a team that play with high intensity and Forshaw may be a way of Leeds combating that, with Phillips more effective when he’s got time on the ball to dictate play.

But Phillips’ omission has certainly raised a few eyebrows and it’s definitely a sizeable risk that Bielsa is taking.