KALVIN PHILLIPS was axed from the Manchester City squad after returning from the World Cup in Qatar OVERWEIGHT.
And the England midfielder, 27, faces a battle to convince Pep Guardiola he is ready for the Premier League trip to his former club Leeds on Wednesday.
Boss Pep said: “He’s not injured. He arrived overweight. I don’t know why.
“He didn’t arrive in the condition to do training sessions and to play. That’s why he cannot play. When he will be ready, he will play, because we need him, we need him a lot.”
Phillips was given ten days off after the Three Lions’ 2-1 quarter-finals loss to France.
But when he returned to the Etihad Campus on Wednesday he was not in the right shape.
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He was left out of the squad for the Carabao Cup clash with Liverpool — even though his four England team-mates were all on the bench.
Guardiola did not blame the England camp for the condition of his player — which suggests the fault may lie with Phillips.
Asked if he was disappointed in his £42million summer signing, Guardiola said: “It’s a private conversation with Kalvin.”
Phillips made two sub appearances at the World Cup — against Wales and Senegal.
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Guardiola had warned on Wednesday he was keen to see whether his World Cup stars would return ‘fit or fat’.
Phillips struggled to get regular football in his first few weeks at City then suffered a dislocated shoulder in September.
The Man City boss wants him to provide competition in midfield but so far his chances have been slim.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
