Pep Guardiola has challenged Kalvin Phillips to convince himself and his teammates that he has a future at Manchester City.
City signed Phillips from Leeds United for £42m last summer, but since then the midfielder has made just eight substitute appearances in the Premier League.
The relentless schedule that has accompanied City’s quest to win the treble means that the fitness of Guardiola’s players is being severely tested, but still Phillips can barely get a game.
The 27-year-old missed the early months of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery, but in recent months Guardiola has opted to use different options in midfield.
“Players have to earn my confidence – all of them, not just Kalvin,” Guardiola said.
Phillips has been linked with a summer departure, but for now Guardiola is remaining tight lipped.
“It depends on the players,” he said. “At the end we’re here, I try to be honest with the questions and my feelings.
“My feelings sometimes change. But at the end it belongs to the players, they have to convince themselves and the team and not because I say something.
“Teams change a lot and players for previous seasons who were incredibly important but this season less important. It’s how they perform, many things can happen.”
City brought in Phillips to provide competition and cover for Rodri, but with huge fixtures coming every three days, Guardiola doesn’t feel like he can rest the Spaniard.
“I’m not complaining about Kalvin because when you don’t play much it’s difficult to take the rhythm,” Guardiola said.
“John [Stones] we’re seven years together, Rodri is [four] years together. I don’t have to tell them anything. Just little details – a movement here or there.
“Kalvin if maybe in the past he’d played more minutes he will get that but Rodri was in exceptional form.
“That role is so, so important, that’s why the lack of minutes makes the circle more difficult. But he always pays attention, in the training sessions he is always open-minded to get it.
“But being behind Arsenal, we cannot drop points. We haven’t had that situation of being eight, 10 points in front – in the past it happened.
“We will see at the end of the season. We’ll sit with the players. Maybe they want more minutes or maybe they are not happy with the situation. But right now I’m not going to discuss anything.”
