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Pep Guardiola has revealed that English midfielder Kalvin Phillips has struggled to adapt to Manchester City's style of play since making the switch last summer from Leeds United.
City splashed out a transfer fee in the region of £45 million to secure the English midfielder's services after a stellar 2021-22 campaign with Leeds.
However, since securing his move to Manchester, Phillips has struggled to nail down regular minutes during the ongoing 2022-23 campaign.
The defensive midfielder has managed just 244 minutes of footballing action this season across all competitions. He has also made a total of 10 appearances, with seven of those coming in the Premier League.
Speaking ahead of Manchester City's semi-final FA Cup clash against Sheffield United, Guardiola has hinted that Phillips may not start yet again, despite the need to rotate the squad amid a grueling list of crucial fixtures.
Speaking at the pre-match conference, the Spanish tactician said:
"Kalvin still needs a bit of rhythm in short spaces. We miss the best of Kalvin, it’s a reason why he doesn’t have a lot of minutes,"
He added:
"I’ve rotated a lot [for semi-finals] in previous seasons and it wasn’t good. I have many doubts. Of course the players are going to say they want to play but at the same time we have to be sure that the people are in the right condition.
"We cannot complain. If you don’t want [a rest], OK get out of the competitions, you don’t have long weeks. If you want it like we have proven we want it, that is the reality. Accept it and fight for that."
A win for Manchester City later today will put them one step closer to winning this season's FA Cup. It will also boost their chances of finishing the 2022-23 season with a possible treble.
The Citizens are in the race for the Premier League title, with Arsenal currently losing their grip on the top spot, while also securing a semi-final showdown against Real Madrid in the Champions League.
Pep Guardiola hints at a possible fatigue facing his Manchester City side amid hunt for treble-winning campaign
Manchester City are still in the hunt for three titles this season, namely the Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League. However, this may come at a huge cost for Guariola's team as they have to play a lot of games within a short span.
This tends to leave their players with a short period to rest and recover before each game. Speaking on the current situation, the Spanish tactician revealed that he has to convince his players to stay positive.
As quoted by the Manchester Evening Standard, he said:
"I have to convince them of the reality that [while] the tiredness is there, you can use it as an excuse or an opportunity.
He continued:
"If you have an opportunity you will be ready at 4.45, [but if] you have an excuse you will be tired so it depends on your thoughts. Your thoughts all the time control your body mentally, your mental approach and you can think bad or good. Wrong or a positive.
Manchester City could potentially play another 13 games this season if they reach the finals of both cup competitions. Their neighbors Manchester United are the only English side to have won the treble - in the 1998-1999 season.
