Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips won’t be making a return to action against Aston Villa this evening, Phil Hay reports.

The Lowdown: Villa return hope

As we know, the Whites have been without Phillips since December due to a hamstring problem. During that time, Leeds have fallen down the Premier League table after winning just twice in 12 games without the 26-year-old.

Reports towards the end of February suggested that Patrick Bamford and Phillips could be back for the meeting with Villa, but it appears as if Jesse Marsch will only be able to call on one of the two Whites stars.

The Latest: Still not training

Hay took to Twitter on Wednesday, relaying updates from Marsch’s pre-match press conference.

When it came to Phillips, Marsch admitted he is behind Liam Cooper in terms of recovery and is still yet to return to training.

“Liam Cooper is training again. Kalvin Phillips is a little further behind but they'll look again to see if he's ready to get into training on Friday. Marsch hopeful they'll be much more up to speed after the international break.”

The Verdict: Late twist

All signs appeared to be pointing towards a matchday squad involvement for Phillips this evening after Marsch confirmed last week he was making good progress before a teasing official club post showed the midfielder in action at Thorp Arch on Wednesday morning.

However, that now won’t be the case, and it seems as of Phillips may also miss meetings with Norwich City and Wolves prior to the international break.

Leeds will have just eight games remaining following the break, so hopefully, the Whites will pick up some crucial points in the three upcoming fixtures without the star midfielder.

In other news: Leeds chief reacts on Twitter after 'sad' late-night news emerges from Elland Road before Villa.