Kalvin Phillips suffers ‘severe’ injury blow as Man Utd and Man City transfer target forced off for England vs Germany
LEEDS star Kalvin Phillips was forced off with a "severe" injury early on for England in their Nations League clash against Germany.
The 26-year-old midfielder missed almost half of the 2021-22 season due to a hamstring injury which limited him to just 20 Premier League appearances.
And he picked up a new knock after going down in the ninth minute of England's 1-1 draw with Germany at the Allianz Arena with what appeared to be a thigh problem.
Gareth Southgate called the injury "severe" but refused to put a timescale on his return.
After the game, the England boss said: "It’s not ideal in any way shape or form to lose a really important player after 15-20 minutes.
“Hopefully it’s not too bad. It’s quite a severe dead leg. It's hard to know how long that will be.”
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Phillips had bravely tried to continue after he was caught by Nico Schlotterbeck's knee during an accidental collision.
But just minutes later the Three Lions ace hit the deck again, where he immediately signalled to the bench he couldn't continue.
The referee then stopped play - much to the annoyance of Germany after they thought they had broken the deadlock.
Bayern Munich ace Thomas Muller was found by a quick throw, and his lob then looped over Jordan Pickford and into the back of the net.
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However, the goal didn't stand as match official Carlos del Cerro Grande had already called a halt to the action.
Phillips was subsequently substituted for Borussia Dortmund starlet Jude Bellingham in the 15th minute.
Southgate will now be sweating over the fitness of the Whites fan favourite ahead of upcoming matches against Italy and Hungary.
And potential suitors will also be keeping a close eye on whether Phillips' injury is a serious one.
The player has been heavily linked with an Elland Road departure this summer, with Manchester rivals United and City thought to be keen.
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New Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag is keen to bolster his midfield with Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic to depart as free agents.
Meanwhile, the Citizens are on the hunt for a Fernandinho replacement with the Brazilian to leave when his contract expires at the end of the month.