Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has given his thoughts on the latest shoulder injury sustained by Kalvin Phillips.
Since making his dream move to Manchester City in the summer, things have not gone according to plan for Kalvin Phillips.
Brought in as an understudy to Rodri in defensive midfield, the England international has barely got a feel of what it is like to play for the Sky Blues, with only 12 minutes of total game time under his belt so far.
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The main factor behind the 26-year old’s little to no involvement at the Etihad Stadium has been his constant injury woes.
Initially, Phillips suffered the same hamstring injury that kept him out for a majority of last term.
After starting in the Sky Blues’ mid-season friendly against Barcelona, the Englishman dislocated his shoulder, which led to him missing his side’s next three league fixtures.
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Upon making his return in the Champions League, Kalvin Phillips made encouraging cameos against the likes of Sevilla and Borussia Dortmund from the bench.
The England midfielder made his home debut last week, when the Blues beat Dortmund 2-1 in the Champions League.
However, the 2020/2021 England Player of the Year has suffered yet another shoulder injury, which meant he had to miss Manchester City’s recent 3-0 victory against Wolves.
In what is reported to be nothing more than mere regular contact during a practice match, Phillips suffered a recurrence of his shoulder problems.
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Pep Guardiola gave an update on the 26 year-olds shoulder problem by saying:” I don’t know (how long he will be out) - I’m not a doctor - but in a good way he can arrive for the World Cup.
“The doctor said the only solution right now is to do what he has to do. Now it will be not long but a little bit longer.”
The 51-year old also confirmed that the former Leeds United talisman has to get shoulder surgery done in order to discover the root of a recurring injury.
“Every time it's out (the shoulder), it's out and doctors (say that) when you have three or four times (where) it's out (with) the shoulder, the only solution is to have surgery.”
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Guardiola also went on to express his frustration at losing such a key squad player to injury, given the upcoming schedule.
“Absolutely (it’s frustrating) - for us as well. We need him. Rodri cannot play all the games. Kalvin came for that, to fight for the position and sometimes we need two holding midfielders and (to be) more defensive.”
While Kalvin Phillips’ absence is a major blow for Pep Guardiola and Manchester City, the hope remains that he returns to full fitness in order to become a vital contributor during the second-half of the season.
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The former Leeds United player is now also in a race to be fit for the World Cup, with England's first match being on November 21st against Iran.
Topics: Manchester City, Pep Guardiola, Kalvin Phillips, Premier League, England
Srinivas Sadhanand