Kalvin Phillips ‘running out of time’ at Manchester City after what happened v Leeds United
Kalvin Phillips is “running out of time” at Manchester City after the midfielder was once again an unused substitute in the clash with Leeds United on Saturday (6 May), according to journalist Richard Tanner.
Phillips, who joined the Manchester outfit from the Whites last summer, was left to watch on from the bench as the former won 2-1 at the Etihad.
The midfielder has made just eight Premier League appearances this season due to injuries and, more significantly, being overlooked by Pep Guardiola.
“The frustrations continue for Kalvin Phillips,” Tanner wrote for The Mail on Sunday (Page 131, 7 May). “Even with usual midfield anchor man Rodri rested ahead of the Champions League semi-final first leg against Real Madrid on Tuesday (9 May), the England international was left unused on the bench against his former club.
“Pep Guardiola rotated his squad and made seven changes from the midweek 3-0 win over West Ham, selecting Ilkay Gundogan and energetic Rico Lewis as his midfield two.
“It means Phillips is running out of time to make his first Premier League start for City since his move from Elland Road last summer.”
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Very frustrating campaign
There will be two camps concerning the decision from Phillips to make a switch to Premier League giants Manchester City last summer.
The first involves the optimists, who will congratulate the England international for his well-deserved transfer and how he wanted to be playing at a much higher level than Leeds.
But the second involves the realists, who could have predicted that Phillips would struggle to play his way into a team involving several world-class stars, meaning a move to a different club would have been more suitable.
He has barely played for his new club, with Guardiola opting to even play players out of position instead of giving Phillips minutes, which will be a real blow to the former Leeds man.
It’s ultimately a sad situation for all parties involved, as the midfielder could have played a starring role once again for Leeds this season.
A summer move looks certain to be the best option for the England international to get his club and indeed Three Lions career back on track.