Vast corners of the Leeds United fanbase have been reacting on social media after The Athletic’s Phil Hay claimed that Kalvin Phillips and Jean-Kevin Augustin are doubts to face Hull City this Saturday.
Neither Phillips nor Augustin were able to play a part in boss Marcelo Bielsa’s plans away to Middlesbrough on Wednesday night, with the academy product sidelined after sustaining a knock against Reading while the RB Leipzig loanee sat out with a hamstring strain.
Augustin’s issue is expected to keep him from featuring at the weekend when we travel to the KCOM Stadium, in what would be the forward’s third successive Championship game without any minutes to his name.
Phillips is listed as a doubt to face the Tigers on Saturday, having failed a fitness test on Wednesday morning that ensured he could play no part in our 1-0 win at the Riverside Stadium.
Should White start at CDM if Phillips is injured?
Yes
No
Augustin has managed to play just 48 minutes of Championship football over three outings since joining the club on loan last month, in a €2million (£1.6m) temporary deal that features a €21m (£17.8m) obligation to buy dependent on promotion.
That investment has so far returned an average of just 0.3 shots per game, plus 4.7 touches, 1.7 accurate passes, 1.0 duels won, 1.0 possession lost and 0.3 fouls, per Sofa Score.
The potential absence of Phillips at Hull has sparked far more concern among the United faithful, having witnessed the club lack the same control in possession against Middlesbrough as we usually do when the 24-year-old is on the field.
Bielsa’s Whites recorded a 57% share of the ball at the Riverside Stadium, while Boro managed to fashion 14 shots to our 12 but thankfully missed the target with half of their total strikes and failed to beat Kiko Casilla with either of their two shots on target.
Ben White stood in at defensive midfield for Phillips, but won just one of three ground duels, three of six aerial duels, was dribbled past twice, made one successful tackle, two interceptions, misplaced 37% of his passes (7/19), made no accurate long passes (0/2) and lost possession nine times.
Here are some of the messages shared as fans reacted to Hay’s pre-Hull injury update…
Pablo was a doubt the other week, and still played so hopefully KP pulls through it! https://t.co/Ng5hcBPrFG
— Talk About Leeds (@talkaboutlufc) February 27, 2020
Think shackleton deserves the role of Phillips if injured.
— Craig. (@bandforgood) February 27, 2020
This isn’t helping my anxiety about all this, Phil 😭🙈😬
— Steve Curran 💙💛 (@curran_steve) February 27, 2020
Kalvin plays. Please https://t.co/INZpSXtoeF
— G U Y S L E Y (@Guysley) February 27, 2020
We need Phillips back 100%. We might have won last night but we missed him a lot. JKA…. sigh.
— Adam Findlay (@SaltBrewAdam) February 27, 2020
There are no words for just how bad the Jan transfer window went. That chancer of a chairman is getting away with so much https://t.co/WPqReGNqtE
— Mark McFarlane (@MarkMcFarlane29) February 27, 2020
That’s a pity. Pat’s just lost all his confidence. Hopefully Kalvin will be back firing on all cylinders after some rest and recoup.
— Damien Taylor (@SleightsWhites) February 27, 2020
Standard “minor injuries” for Leeds. RIP Big Kev https://t.co/o47bHX3dpz
— Roam Hamilton (@roamyourway) February 27, 2020
thats because bielsas fitness https://t.co/1gUdZVYSOu probably a 12 mile run with alioski on his back
— chris wilson (@willowlufc) February 27, 2020
In other Leeds United news, a former Whites star has rued the club’s failure to land a 23y/o in January.