Kalvin Phillips left Leeds United to join Manchester City this summer.
With the Citizens being Premier League champions and all, few could blame the England international for his ambition to play for one of Europe’s best teams.
Thing is, the former Leeds midfielder isn’t actually playing.
So far, the 26-year-old has managed only one minute of Premier League football under Pep Guardiola with the Sky Blues.
And with England’s World Cup campaign on the horizon later this year, Paul Merson has admitted that it is a ‘real worry’ for the Thorp Arch graduate, who suffered an injury in a midweek friendly versus Barcelona.
He told The Daily Star: “At this rate, Phillips will be lucky to have played two games by the time the World Cup comes around. It’s a real worry.”
Indeed, this is a genuine concern for the Leeds-raised star.
Phillips, who has missed quite a lot of football through injury over the past 12 months, was an ever-present figure last summer when the Three Lions reached the final of the European Championship, ultimately losing to Italy on penalties.
And you would think that he’s on Gareth Southgate’s priority list when it comes to squad selection for Qatar.
However, the fact he’s barely kicked a ball since leaving Elland Road is not only going to be frustrating for him, but worrisome.
Is there a chance that Southgate doesn’t bring him to the Middle East? Well there will be other midfielders playing more football than Phillips at the time of the squad announcement, so it is possible.
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