Kalvin Phillips admits he is unsure about how he will cope when he finally starts a fixture this season.
After signing for Manchester City this summer, Phillips has struggled with injury and has been limited to four substitute appearances in total - totalling just 53 minutes between them. After playing in the charity match at Barcelona in August, Phillips injured his shoulder and would later require surgery to fix the issue that limited him to just 13 minutes in his first three appearances.
Phillips faced a race against time to be fit for the World Cup, and played 40 minutes in the Carabao Cup against Chelsea just before the England squad was announced, and he impressed for the Three Lions off the bench in their World Cup win over Wales as he sent over a lovely assist for Marcus Rashford's second goal.
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However, in the build-up to that game, Phillips admitted he was struggling with his move down the pecking order in England's midfield, as Jude Bellingham has taken his chance and looks to be a mainstay next to Declan Rice for the future. And the City man admits he has no idea how he will cope when he does end up starting his first game since the final fixture of last season for Leeds.
“I don't know, I've not started one yet, I'd have to tell you after that but I feel good," Phillips said. “I’ve trained for a long time now after my surgery so I obviously don't know when I'm going to start but I'm just ready to get on the pitch.”
Regarding his battle with Bellingham for minutes, Phillips was full of praise for his young midfield rival.
He explained: “I knew a few years ago that Jude would be a major part of this England team, with the way he's performed not just for England but for Dortmund.
“He's an amazing talent, he's one of those kids that doesn't say too much but just goes out on the training pitch and is only going to become a better and better player.”
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