Gareth Southgate has admitted that Kalvin Phillips' struggle to win a place in Manchester City's team could wreck the midfielder's hopes of going to the World Cup.
Phillips will be sidelined for a minimum of six weeks following an operation after he was injured during a charity friendly against Barcelona last month - and faces a race to be fit in time to make the plane to Qatar.
But even if the 26-year-old wins his battle, he must then find a way to convince Southgate to take him to the Middle East by breaking into Pep Guardiola's City team.
Phillips has played just 14 minutes for the champions following his £42million summer arrival from Leeds.
He has been hit by a number of niggling muscle injuries after spending most of his last season at Elland Road on the sidelines because of fitness issues.
And Southgate said: "There's the recovery from the surgery - which is an estimated time - and then there's the reality of how much football he might have and how much football he’s had in the last eight weeks."
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Teenager Jude Bellingham will now come into Southgate's thinking as a starter alongside Declan Rice in midfield.
The Borussia Dortmund dynamo won his 16th cap as England were beaten 1-0 by Italy at the San Siro on Friday night.
But he has been outstanding for Dortmund again this season and there were encouraging signs from the 19-year-old in Milan despite the defeat.
