Manchester City reportedly decide whether they are prepared to recall Kalvin Phillips from his loan stint with Ipswich Town.
Throughout the first 18 months of his time at the Etihad Stadium, Phillips was rarely used by Pep Guardiola in Premier League fixtures.
As a result, the England international was loaned to West Ham United in January, with the hope being he would kick-start his career at the London Stadium.
Instead, Phillips' stock dropped to such an extent that he lost his place in the England squad, subsequently missing out on appearing at Euro 2024.
Phillips has since been loaned out to Ipswich where he is expected to become a mainstay in the team in their first season back in the Premier League, but a scenario has arisen where he may be considered for a return to City.
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Is Phillips viewed as Rodri replacement?
On Sunday afternoon, Rodri needed to be stretchered off in the first half of the showdown with Arsenal having suffered a serious knee injury.
City have since confirmed that the Spain international has sustained ligament damage, with the perception being the ACL injury in question will lead to him missing the rest of 2024-25.
Guardiola must now decide how to replace the Euro 2024 winner in January, whether that be through acquiring a fresh face or handing another opportunity to Phillips.
According to Football Insider, City and Guardiola have no plans to hand a surprise opportunity to Phillips for the second half of the campaign.
The report indicates that Phillips will be allowed to remain at Portman Road where he is far more likely to feature on a weekly basis.
Given his injury issues, the 28-year-old could theoretically benefit from not being required to play in multiple competitions.
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How is Phillips faring at Ipswich?
Phillips was forced to miss out on appearing in Ipswich's most recent fixture at Southampton with what head coach Kieran McKenna described as a minor injury issue.
Nevertheless, before that, three starts were made in all competitions against AFC Wimbledon, Fulham and Brighton & Hove Albion respectively.
Most notably, he completed the 90 minutes versus the latter, Ipswich impressively earning a share of the spoils in a goalless draw.
Darren Plant
