Marcelo Bielsa says that he doesn’t have a player similar to Kalvin Phillips in the Leeds squad, but there are other players who can fill the gap when required.
The 22-year-old has played in all the three games for Leeds this season, and has been the unsung hero for the Yorkshire club so far.
Philips loves to keep the game simple, and Bielsa likes his passing range. The Argentine also adds that Phillips is very good from defensive point of view, but he has the skills to play further forward and score goals.
Bielsa admitted that it is hard for the club to find another player who can do the same job as Phillips, before adding Ronaldo Vieira was the player who was similar in style.
“It’s hard to find another player who can do the same job as Phillips. So, maybe in that sense, we haven’t drawn our team perfectly because [Ronaldo] Vieira was the player most similar to Phillips,” said Bielsa to Leeds Live.
Vieira was a product of Leeds academy who played two full seasons at the club before moving to Serie A club Sampdoria in the summer transfer window.
The 20-year-old is a highly rated young talent and Bielsa wanted to keep him at the club. However, Sampdoria offered in excess of offered in excess of £7 million, and Leeds couldn’t refuse the deal.
Defensive midfield is a specialised position, but Bielsa does have options in the form of Mateusz Klich, Adam Forshaw and Conor Shaughnessy.
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