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Man City manager Pep Guardiola says England duo Kyle Walker and Kalvin Phillips should recover from their injuries in time for the 2022 World Cup.
As reported by Firstpost, the Man City boss believes both players will be fit for the tournament. England play their first match on November 21 against Iran.
Defender Walker has been out since early October. He suffered an abdominal injury in the Manchester Derby against Manchester United.
Phillips has been sidelined for the majority of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery in September.
England duo “likely to be ready”
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Both Walker and Phillips remain unavailable to City boss Guardiola. But the manager is confident they can make it back in time to at least convince England boss Gareth Southgate to take a chance on their match fitness.
“It’s likely, from the way they recover,” said Guardiola. “From what I hear in the dressing room, it is likely they can be ready. You don’t play a World Cup every week.”
Phillips in race to be match ready for England
Phillips’ City career is yet to kickstart after his summer move from Leeds. He has played just 14 minutes in total this season.
The midfielder has been limited to just one minute in the Premier League, and 13 minutes across two Champions League matches.
When asked when Phillips might make a return to the City team, Guardiola responded: “I don’t know. He’s doing partial training sessions with the team, so not contact yet, but we will see the evolution and the needs.
“I know how important the World Cup is but I’m not going to use a player if they are not ready in physicality or rhythm. We will evaluate if he is in the best condition to play.
“We’ve been impressed with Kyle’s recovery but he is late compared to Kalvin.”
Walker has missed the last four Man City Premier League games. He has also been absent from the club’s Champions League matches.
The defender was a regular in England’s recent UEFA Nations League campaign.
Guardiola reveals Man City short-term plans
Man City have a busy schedule before the tournament in Qatar gets underway. It begins with a final Champions League group match against Sevilla this evening.
Premier League meetings with Fulham and Brentford follow. There is also a League Cup third round meeting with Chelsea to be played.
The fixture against the Blues is sandwiched in between Man City’s final two league games before the World Cup. The Manchester outfit currently sit second in the Premier League table, two points behind Arsenal.
The 2022 World Cup gets underway on 20 November, ending on 18 December. Guardiola has plenty of plans for his team and indeed himself for the near future.
“The best way to enjoy the World Cup matches is at home with red wine!” said the Man City manager.
“We will have one or two weeks off and then we will come here, maybe go to Abu Dhabi, maybe organise a friendly game. It’s not definitive but we will train, come back on November 28 and be ready as much as possible.”
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