Why Kalvin Phillips is so important to Manchester City – Pep Guardiola

Kalvin Phillips has a crucial role to play for Manchester City this season, despite a slow start to the campaign, insists his manager Pep Guardiola.

The 27 year-old midfielder has had a difficult start to life at the Etihad Stadium, since joining Manchester City from his boyhood club Leeds United last summer in a £42 million deal.

Injuries have hampered Kalvin Phillips’ progression in the City squad, and an operation on a persistent shoulder problem almost put his place at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar at risk.

However, with matches now coming thick and fast across all competitions for the reigning Premier League champions, and fatigue perhaps beginning to show on one integral member of the first-team squad, Kalvin Phillips is expected to play a bigger part than ever in the coming weeks of the season.

Speaking during a recent press conference, Pep Guardiola pointed towards a bout of cramp experienced by Rodri in their Premier League clash away at Chelsea, as a reason why Kalvin Phillips will be more important than ever during this stage of the season.

“Kalvin (Phillips) last season at Leeds, for a long part of the season was injured. He came (to Manchester City), then after he couldn’t train,” said Guardiola.

“He struggled, had the operation with his shoulder, he fought to go to the World Cup, he got it and that’s why it was a long period without playing – in the middle of the competition he needs rhythm and [to understand] the concepts.”

The Manchester City manager continued, “As quick as possible we need him. Look what happened to Rodri with the cramp (against Chelsea in the Premier League), he needs rest and we need Kalvin like all the players. We’ll try to fix it.”

Kalvin Phillips is expected to start for Manchester City in their next game, as the Premier League champions travel to the south coast to take on Southampton in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.

In a competition that has brought so much success to Pep Guardiola and his City players over recent years, the squad will be keen to reclaim a trophy they won four times in a row between 2017/18 and 2020/21.

However, with Southampton manager Nathan Jones under fire to bring in positive results after a tough start to life at St. Mary’s, the Saints will be keen to reach the last-four of a tournament that has already seen Chelsea and Liverpool exit at the hands of Manchester City.