Former Premier League midfielder Dietmar Hamman believes Kalvin Phillips' move from Leeds United to Manchester City could hamper his World Cup chances.
Leeds-born Phillips departed Elland Road this summer, ending a 12-year spell at his hometown club. The Premier League champions signed Phillips last month for a fee in the region of £45 million.
Since making his England debut in September 2020, Phillips has become a crucial member of Gareth Southgate's side. He now has 23 Three Lions caps, but former Liverpool and Manchester City midfielder Hamman believes Phillips' move could 'harm his chances' of going to the Qatar 2022 World Cup in November. The midfielder was named on the bench as City opened their Premier League season with a win at West Ham on Sunday.
READ MORE: Leeds United fans react to Kalvin Phillips' Manchester City cameo debut
"England has got a lot of options in midfield, but then again Phillips and Declan Rice played ever so well in the Euros last year, and it could harm his chances of going to and playing at the World Cup," Hamman told safebettingsites.com.
"We’ve probably got about 25 games until the World Cup now with the Champions League starting again soon, and I would like to think Phillips is going to play at least half or start half of the games, but whether he does, I’m not too sure.
"He's a defensive minded player, and I think in Rodri, they’ve got the best defensive midfielder in the league alongside Fabinho, so I’m not too sure where he’s going to play.
"When you play with Rodri and a back four with brilliant players, Guardiola likes to have two forward thinking players next to him in Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva or Ilkay Gundogan.
"I’m not sure where he’ll fit in. Rodri is a very smart player, very clever and is hardly injured, so at the moment, I can’t see how Phillips will fit into that team."
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