The possibility of a new player who was once involved in controversy over being overweight has increased.
Manchester City will meet Southampton in the quarterfinals of the 2022-23 season England Carabao Cup (EFL Cup) held at St. Mary Stadium in Southampton, England at 5 am (Korean time) on the 12th.
“Calvin Phillips (27) overcame his overweight. It took time, but I’m glad he’s finally ready to play,” said Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola at a pre-game press conference.
Phillips is a central midfielder in Manchester City clothes after leaving Leeds United in the summer transfer window. He was named as a replacement for veteran Fernandinho (37, Clubby Atletico Cuparana Enci). Expectations were high as a resource that would ease the burden on key midfielder Rodri (26).
But Phillips has so far failed Manchester City’s expectations. He focused on recovering from a hamstring injury early in the transfer. He only made occasional substitute appearances in the UEFA Champions League (UCL) and English Premier League (PL). The playing time was about 10 minutes.
The bad news continued. Phillips was sidelined with a shoulder injury in November. He went to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar with the England national team, but played only 40 minutes in 5 matches.
Controversy erupted after his return to the team. Guardiola said, “Philips returned to Manchester City in a state of overweight. He is currently not in shape to digest training and games.” Local media also criticized Phillips’ attitude. 스포츠토토
Since then, Phillips seems to have focused on improving his physical condition. Guardiola said before the match against Southampton: “Philips has done an amazing job in training. He is an intelligent player. I am happy to have a midfielder like Phillips at Manchester City.”
It also raised the possibility of Phillips’ first start for Man City. “Phillips has been injured since coming to Manchester City,” said Guardiola.
Meanwhile, according to the British media ‘BBC’, Man City’s key defender Hubeng Dias (25) is scheduled to miss Southampton due to a hamstring injury.