Kalvin Phillips - a City lifeline?

Manchester City could be about to hand Kalvin Phillips a surprise lifeline, with reports suggesting the England midfielder will be included in their 25-man Premier League squad for the 2025/26 season.

The 29-year-old was widely expected to leave the Etihad this summer after two unremarkable loan spells and the loss of his No. 4 shirt to new signing Tijjani Reijnders. Yet with injuries piling up and Pep Guardiola looking for depth in midfield, Phillips’ City career may not be over just yet.

Injuries Force Guardiola’s Hand

City’s midfield has been stretched thin in recent weeks. Ballon D'or winner Rodri is only just returning to full fitness, while Mateo Kovacic has also been sidelined, leaving Guardiola slightly short of natural options in the holding role.

That vacancy could provide Phillips with the chance to step back into the picture. Despite not pulling on a City shirt since the Club World Cup in December 2023, he has returned to fitness following an ankle injury and has been picture training with the first team this week.

Phillips will not feature in the Champions League, where UEFA’s stricter registration rules left him omitted. But domestically, his inclusion would ensure Guardiola has another body in midfield as City look to navigate a difficult run of games, beginning with a Manchester derby this weekend.

𝘽𝙍𝙀𝘼𝙆𝙄𝙉𝙂: Kalvin Phillips is set to be named in #ManCity’s 25-man Premier League squad, and could be given a chance by Pep Guardiola to resurrect his City career, according to @mcgrathmike. 🚨‼️ pic.twitter.com/NXpvMtEnjy

— City Report (@cityreport_) September 12, 2025

From Leeds Hero to City Misfit

Phillips’ journey to this point has been far from straightforward. A product of Leeds United’s academy, he became the heartbeat of Marcelo Bielsa’s midfield, making 234 senior appearances for his boyhood club and helping them back into the Premier League.

That form earned him a £45 million switch to City in 2022 and a place in Gareth Southgate’s England side, where he has since collected 31 caps and scored once, but is yet to be called up by current England boss Thomas Tuchel.

But his time in Manchester has been blighted by setbacks. An early shoulder surgery halted his momentum in the side, while Guardiola’s public criticism of his physical condition upon returning from the 2022 World Cup seemed to mark a turning point. In three years, he has managed just 31 appearances for City, with only 16 coming in the Premier League, and only two of those as starts.

Loan moves to West Ham United (10 appearances) and Ipswich Town (22) did little to reignite his form, and this summer appeared destined to end with a permanent departure. Yet circumstances have conspired to offer him one final chance in Manchester.

Last Chance Saloon

Whether Phillips can seize the opportunity is another question. He hasn’t played a competitive minute for City in almost two years, and rebuilding both sharpness and trust will take time. But his re-registration at least reopens the door.

For Phillips, though, it is nothing short of a career lifeline. With 234 Leeds appearances and 31 England caps to his name, his pedigree is unquestionable. The challenge now is proving he can still deliver at the very highest level.

Manchester City face rivals Manchester United at the Etihad this weekend, and while Phillips is unlikely to start, just being back in contention represents an extraordinary twist in a story that looked to be over.