Manchester City’s Kalvin Phillips faces uncertain club future after latest injury setback | OneFootball

Sheffield United are hopeful Kalvin Phillips will return to action before the end of the season after the Manchester City loanee briefly returned to his parent club for assessment on a knee issue.

The midfielder’s availability became a concern following Sheffield United’s derby clash with Sheffield Wednesday last month. Phillips was shown a red card in a 2-1 win for the Blades for a challenge on Svante Ingelsson.

Initially, it was expected that the Englishman would be back in action after his suspension was over. Phillips would have been available for selection shortly after the upcoming home fixture against West Bromwich Albion and potentially for the midweek trip to Norwich City.

However, his’ situation became more complex when a previously undisclosed knee issue, which he picked up against the Owls, came to light. Because of this, Phillips returned to parent club Manchester City for treatment and further assesments.

Sheffield United were already dealing with Michael Cooper’s significant injury, wirh the goalkeeper out for the rest of the season due to a knee injury. Therefore, Philips’ setback comes at a tough time for the Championship outfit, thus making Chris Wilder’s squad even more stretched.

What is the nature and extent of the injury sustained by Kalvin Phillips in the Steel City derby?

There is some optimism surrounding Phillips’ condition. After being assessed and treated in Manchester, the former Leeds United star has returned to Sheffield United, who are awaiting more clarity on his future availability.

Blades boss Chris Wilder has confirmed the nature of Phillips’ injury. “Yes, he tweaked his knee in the Sheffield Wednesday game,” Wilder said, as quoted by The Sheffield Star.

“It was a great day for a lot of us but unfortunate for him (Phillips) in terms of the sending off and just a minor issue.”

The United boss added that the club would continue to monitor developments while Phillips serves the remainder of his suspension. Wilder added: “He’s had that checked out and he’s suspended as well, his final game tomorrow. As soon as we get any news on that in the medium term, we’ll let you know.”

Wilder remains hopeful that Phillips’ problem won’t be as serious as Cooper’s. “Yeah, we’ve looked back at it in terms of the challenge,” the Englishman said. “It was an innocuous challenge, a little bit like Michael Cooper’s – but hopefully it’s not the same outcome.”

What has Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder made of Kalvin Phillips so far at Bramall Lane?

The Sheffield United manager also praised Phillips’ commitment and perseverance since his arrival to south Yorkshire on loan in January.

“Kalvin’s done great,” Wilder said. “Obviously, he’s not our player so ultimately the decision of what happens eventually regarding Kalvin will be taken by Manchester City. But he’s desperate to get himself out there back going again – and fingers crossed, that will be the case.”

For Sheffield United, the top priority remains getting Phillips back on the pitch before the season ends. The final decision will involve the advice of the medical staff at Manchester City and long-term planning around the player’s future.

However, the hope at Bramall Lane is that Phillips’ injury is not too serious and that he can play in red and white again before his loan spell ends at the end of the season.