Leeds United v Barnsley - We will finish the job for Kalvin Phillips, says Mateusz Klich

UNABLE to harness the power of a parochial sell-out crowd on the sort of a high-stakes occasion that Elland Road was made for, Leeds United have the next best thing when it comes to local motivation later today.

Thousands of Leeds supporters will be watching events unfold in their side’s derby with relegation-threatened Barnsley from their homes (5pm kick-off), but one of their number will have a much closer vantage point.

A knee injury may preclude Kalvin Phillips from participation today, but he is unlikely to be a bystander as the league leaders strive for a win which would move them to within a point of promotion to the Premier League with two games to go.

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Expect him to serve as an unofficial cheerleader in the games ahead – with the midfielder intent on not just roaring on his team-mates towards a cathartic promotion and overdue return to the big time, but also his club.

Leeds United's Mateusz Klich. Picture: Jonathan GawthorpeLeeds United's Mateusz Klich. Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe
Leeds United's Mateusz Klich. Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe

At the heartbeat of the Whites’ revolution under Marcelo Bielsa, Phillips is ‘gutted’ at having to miss the rest of 2019-20, according to Mateusz Klich, who revealed that he and his team-mates are driven in their quest to finish off the job for him and the club’s absent supporters.

Klich, 30, said: “No-one wants to be injured. Especially for Kalvin, it is his club and his town.

“He is gutted, but we will finish the job. He is a very important part of our team and he helped us a lot as obviously he was one of our key players (this season).

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“It is very sad for him, but Ben (White) is ready to play in his position.”

Leeds United's Kalvin Phillips. Picture: PA.Leeds United's Kalvin Phillips. Picture: PA.
Leeds United's Kalvin Phillips. Picture: PA.

For Klich, Phillips and everyone who currently dons the famous white jersey, promotion would represent a seminal moment in all of their careers and the completion of an emotional journey in many individual cases.

Positioned at the summit, Leeds remain very healthily placed, but one final push is needed with third-placed Brentford’s quest to gatecrash the top two showing no signs of relenting after their 1-0 victory over Preston – their eighth win on the spin.

Brentford moved to within a point of second-placed West Brom in the process, with both having two games to go. Leeds, two points clear of Albion and three ahead of the Bees, need four points from their final three matches to go up.

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Klich, who joined the club in the summer of 2017, but who would only blossom following the arrival of Bielsa a year later, said: “Everyone knows what the goal is and we are very close.

“The next game is massive as Barnsley are playing for life and we are playing for life as well as it will be life-changing for all of us if we go to the Premier League.

“Recently, I talked with some of my friends and I was laughing because I started my journey abroad in the Bundesliga and I did not have a game at Wolfsburg and I (now) might end up in the Premier League.

“It will be a nice journey for me and the Premier League is the best league in the world and everyone wants to be there.

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“You never know in football. If you had told me a couple of years back, I could be in the Premier League, I would tell you that you are probably crazy, but in football, everything is possible.

“I hope my dream comes true; not only mine but everyone else’s.

“I did not give up on Leeds and Leeds did not give up on me. It is also a nice factor in it. It is a funny journey for me as I was very close to leaving the club.

“I would love to find myself there (Premier League). But let us finish the job first.”

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Separated by 23 places, 41 points and contrasting late-season aims they may be, but Leeds – under the tutelage of a head coach who makes it his business to prepare rigorously for every opponent – will be treating Barnsley seriously, according to Klich.

History tells Leeds that they should be wise to, with the Reds triumphing 2-1 at Elland Road at the end of another season when they were in relegation strife and Leeds were gunning for promotion back in late April 1990.

Barnsley stayed up on that occasion in 1989-90 – while Leeds were crowned champions.

In the here and now, the Reds’ search for survival points can now be categorised as desperate.

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Yet their ability to surprise the division’s leading lights has already been showcased this season, while they were unfortunate to succumb to two late goals in the reverse fixture at Oakwell.

Klich, who netted United’s second goal from the penalty spot in that 2-0 success at Barnsley, whose performance was widely praised by Bielsa, added: “The Barnsley game will not be easy and I expect it will be even harder than the Luton game as Barnsley have to win and it will motivate then. It is a derby as well and they won 3-0 at Fulham away.”

Last six games: Leeds LWDWWW; Barnsley WDWLDD.

Referee: J Gillett (Australia).

Last time: Leeds 2 Barnsley 1, April 21, 2018; Championship.

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