City Manager Pep claims to be aware of Philips’s lack of games but challenges the player to fight for his spot on the team.
After joining City in the summer in a £45 million deal from Leeds United, Phillips has had a rocky start and is still yet to make a start or even log 90 minutes on the field for his new team.
His progress with the club has been halted by a number of injuries, most notably a shoulder problem that required surgery, but after the world cup the player has been injury free and working towards great fitness.
The Carabao Cup quarterfinal matchup between the Blues and Saints on Wednesday will mark Phillips’ long-awaited full Blues debut. As it would give Rodri who logged the most minutes of any City player this season his much needed break.
However, for the benefit of the team, Pep Guardiola wants Kalvin Phillips to challenge Rodri for a spot in the starting XI even though he will likely be frustrated by his lack of playing time since joining Manchester City.
Guardiola believes Phillips must be prepared to push his holding midfield colleague and himself in order to maintain high standards. He is of the opinion that a competition between the two will force both players to strive to be their best. He said:
“I am pretty sure he is frustrated when you come to a new club and cannot play But the shoulder is the main thing and after surgery he came back from the World Cup perfectly and now he feels fine, just a question of time, minutes, the amount of games we have we are going to use him.
“He has to fight with Rodri for the benefit of all of us. Rodri cannot sleep and must have the feeling there is someone close to him to do it. Phillips can win that fight but It depends on him how he is able to fight with Rodri. That’s why the big clubs must have these kind of feelings.” he added
Pep Guardiola understands that each player has unique talents and that each unique skill set is required to form a super team. He is convinced, however, that if Philips can work hard to challenge Rodri, it will be best for the Manchester City midfield.
Amidst reports that Kalvin was overweight and unfit, the manager still claims that he is an important City player. The manager continued by explaining the controversy, saying:
“From day one, When he didn’t train for the first game after the World Cup it was I don’t want you injured when you are not fit. You are at more risk in training session or in the games. It’s better to stay away for a few days and when you are fit or in the condition to train, go.”
“This is what happened after a few days, the weight was perfect and he was back training. Sometimes he is not ready for some niggles or problems, I prefer one day out, you’re not going to lose anything.” he added.
City would like to see their holding midfielder adapt to the team soon so that they can reap the benefits of their investment, and if the player continues to be denied playing time, a move to West Ham, who have been scouting the player, could happen.