Pep Guardiola explains why Kalvin Phillips hasn't played much for Man City | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola issued an emotional response when asked about why he hasn't given Kalvin Phillips more game time in a Manchester City shirt.

The former Leeds United man has been on the fringes of the treble-winning squad since he arrived in 2022. In the past, his manager has made comments about the midfielder's physical condition, claiming him to be overweight before later backtracking.

The latest chapter of this saga occurred during the Spaniard's press conference ahead of his side's visit to Luton Town this weekend. In a moment of compassion, Guardiola seemed at times on the verge of tears when discussing his treatment of the 28-year-old.

What did Guardiola have to say about Phillips?

When quizzed about what the future holds for the Englishman, the former Barcelona manager stated that he would be pleased if Phillips stayed at the club in January, but admitted he felt terrible about the fact he hasn't given the Englishman minutes. He stated:

Guardiola's comments come after he opted to start John Stones and Manuel Akanji in midfield during the European champions' 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa on Wednesday night. The decision to start two defenders over Phillips in the latter's preferred position seemed to suggest that his future in Manchester looks bleak. So far, he's seen just 89 minutes of action in the Premier League, spread across four cameos of the bench.

Phillips' Manchester City career so far

Phillips was signed by Manchester City in the summer of 2022 for a reported £45m. Since then, the defensive midfielder has struggled to make any kind of impact on the side, which has also led to doubt regarding his place in Gareth Southgate's England plans.

The former Leeds United academy graduate has made just 29 appearances for the club, including just 16 in the Premier League. Of those 16, only two have come from the start, both of which were last season. He has managed to pick up more bookings than goal contributions in his 18 months there, but has also won more trophies than that too.

This isn't the first time that Pep Guardiola's comments about Phillips have made the headlines. In 2022, the 52-year-old coach criticised the player's fitness following his return from the World Cup. The manager claimed that the man once labelled 'the Yorkshire Pirlo,' was overweight and not in any condition to train with the squad. This is despite the fact that he had been training with England during the tournament and featured twice.

Guardiola backtracked from these comments mere days later, possibly as a result of the backlash he faced for the insensitive remark. He went on to claim that the midfielder had 'the perfect body.'