Kalvin Phillips "optimistic" of making England World Cup squad

Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips has said that he is "optimistic" of being included in the England squad for the World Cup.

Three Lions head coach Gareth Southgate will announce his squad for the competition on Thursday afternoon, with Reece James already confirmed to be out due to his knee injury.

James Maddison is also expected to miss out despite his impressive form for Leicester City this season, but the likes of Ben White and Marcus Rashford are set to be included.

There has been doubt over Phillips, with the 26-year-old on the sidelines since the middle of September due to a shoulder injury, which required surgery.

The midfielder made his return against Chelsea in the EFL Cup third round on Wednesday night, though, playing 40 minutes of the contest at Etihad Stadium.

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Phillips was a vital player for Southgate at Euro 2020, and he was expected to have been a starter at the World Cup had he been available and playing regular football in the build-up.

Jude Bellingham has seemingly now moved ahead of the former Leeds United midfielder in the pecking order, with the former potentially starting alongside Declan Rice in central midfield.

However, Phillips is "optimistic" that he has done enough to be named in the squad for the tournament.

"Anything can happen so I'm optimistic, but I know with the amount of game time I've had, there's always that doubt as well," Phillips told Sky Sports News

"It was an amazing feeling. Obviously there's been a bit of doubt over me with my shoulder injury. It's been a long time but just glad to get back out there and play with the lads.

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"Without playing football for a while, it's going to be nerve-racking when you first step onto the pitch especially for one of my first appearances for the club so it felt good, but it made it a lot easier with the two goals that went in straight away.

"'It was difficult. When I first found out that I needed the operation, everything just went out the window. I didn't really feel great about the situation, but a couple of days later I wanted to make sure I was always positive, and I'm back fit now so hopefully I've got a chance.

"My injuries and stuff, I've not really been playing at 100% because of my shoulder, and now I've got that sorted I can finally get back to what I was before and hopefully better with all the coaching from Pep and the staff here. I'm optimistic and hopefully it's put me in good stead."

Phillips has now played four times for Man City since his summer move from Leeds, and he will also be hopeful of being involved in the team's Premier League clash with Brentford on Saturday afternoon.