Pep Guardiola reveals extra effort made by Kalvin Phillips over Man City return as Erling Haaland glows on Snapchat | OneFootball

Both Pep Guardiola and Erling Haaland have glowed with praise for Kalvin Phillips following his return to Manchester City action on Wednesday night.

The England international was back in action during City’s Carabao Cup third round victory away to Huddersfield Town, having faced persistent questions over his future at the Etihad Stadium over the course of the summer.

With manager Guardiola managing a busy schedule across three competitions in less than three weeks, the return of squad options like Kalvin Phillips could prove pivotal in maintaining momentum through the allowing of rest for more crucial first-team names.

Phillips’ involvement came at a time when Guardiola was looking to lean heavily on fringe and Academy players to balance his squad amid injury concerns. John Stones only recently returned to action, while Rayan Aït-Nouri, Rayan Cherki, and Omar Marmoush remain sidelined.

Youngsters Divine Mukasa and both Heskey brothers – Jaden and Reigan – were handed chances in West Yorkshire, highlighting Pep Guardiola’s commitment to using the Carabao Cup to blend senior experience with emerging talent.

City ultimately progressed to the fourth round courtesy of goals from Phil Foden and Savinho, with James Trafford marking his return to the starting line-up with a clean sheet, setting up an away clash against Swansea City in the next stage of the competition.

Speaking after City’s relatively routine win over Huddersfield Town at the Accu Stadium, Pep Guardiola revealed on Kalvin Phillips’ return to the action, “We asked him to come back because yesterday he was a father for the second time, in London.

“He made an effort to come and we wanted to give him a few minutes.”

Continuing on the same subject during his post-match press conference, Guardiola added, “It was a good moment but yesterday was a father… For the Harry Phillips.

“And he came this morning from London, now he’s going back to London to his wife and the kids. He came for a few minutes because we didn’t know exactly John [Stones] and his position. But the game was controlled, they didn’t make a lot of efforts in behind.”

Issuing his own reaction during the game following Kalvin Phillips’ return, Erling Haaland uploaded to his Snapchat story with an image of the midfielder coming onto the pitch accompanied by the caption, “Yorkshire Pirlo is back”.

https://twitter.com/City_Xtra/status/1970974392965542157

Kalvin Phillips’ cameo is unlikely to radically alter his long-term standing at the club, but it comes after Pep Guardiola previously challenged him to “play and help us” in the aftermath of summer speculation linking him with a move away.

With City’s fixture schedule continuing at a relentless pace, his willingness to sacrifice personal time at such a significant family moment may go some way toward earning goodwill from both teammates and coaching staff.

Looking forward, Kalvin Phillips’ ability to remain fit and available will dictate how often Pep Guardiola turns to him in the coming weeks. With Rodri central to Manchester City’s midfield and matches against Burnley, Monaco, and Brentford on the horizon, opportunities may be limited, but Phillips has at least reminded his manager of his commitment.

As Erling Haaland’s reaction on social media has also showed, the midfielder still holds respect in the dressing room – a factor that could yet influence how Pep Guardiola utilises him across a demanding campaign.