The Manchester City supervisor was initially imprecise when requested why the 27-year-old England worldwide didn’t even make the bench for Thursday’s Carabao Cup tie towards Liverpool.
Guardiola merely stated the participant was not match and had not been in the appropriate situation to coach after rejoining the City squad.
Nevertheless, pressed additional after City’s 3-2 win over the Reds on the Etihad Stadium, Guardiola made clear the injury-hit Phillips had not picked up one other knock.
He stated: “He’s not injured. He arrived chubby. I don’t know (why).
“He didn’t arrive within the situation to do coaching classes and to play.”
City had 16 gamers on worldwide obligation on the World Cup, greater than every other Premier League membership.
Every participant was given day off after their involvement in Qatar ended – which in Phillips’ case was after England’s quarter-final elimination towards France on December 10 – earlier than needing to report again to Manchester.
Guardiola stated he didn’t assume there was a problem with England’s coaching regime.
“No, no, no, no completely (not),” Guardiola stated.
“When he will probably be prepared he’ll play, as a result of we want him, we want him rather a lot.”
Requested if he was dissatisfied concerning the scenario, Guardiola stated: “It’s a personal dialog with Kalvin.”
It isn’t the primary time Guardiola has criticised a participant’s health this season having beforehand expressed issues about Riyad Mahrez’s situation.
The most recent matter continues Phillips’ troubled begin at City following his £42million transfer from Leeds in the summertime.
Phillips, who additionally spent most of his ultimate season at Elland Street on the sidelines, performed solely 14 minutes’ soccer as a consequence of hamstring points earlier than struggling a recurrence of a shoulder damage and present process surgical procedure in September.
He then missed an extra eight weeks of motion earlier than returning simply in time to earn a spot in England’s World Cup squad with a 40-minute run-out towards Chelsea within the Carabao Cup final month.
He went on to make two substitute appearances on the World Cup in England’s wins over Wales and Senegal.
It now appears unlikely he will probably be concerned as City resume their Premier League title defence away to Phillips’ former membership Leeds on December 28.
Further reporting from PA
