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Kalvin Phillips has been withdrawn from England’s team for friendly matches against Brazil and Belgium.
England manager Gareth Southgate will select his final squad before this summer’s European Championships at 2 p.m., and Phillips will not be included, according to The Athletic.
There had been significant conjecture over the midfielder’s international future as he struggled with limited minutes at Manchester City before to the January transfer window.
In that window, he signed on loan with West Ham in the hopes of getting more playing time, but his time in London hasn’t gone as planned, as he’s once again found himself on the bench more often than he’d prefer.
Now, he appears to have paid the price for his lack of game experience by being left out of the Three Lions team, and his position in the Euros is far from guaranteed.
Kalvin Phillips has made only 17 club appearances this season, with ten coming in the Premier League, three of which were starts.
Phillips played only 89 minutes of league action for City in the first five months of the season after failing to start in the league and being labeled overweight by manager Pep Guardiola.
After joining West Ham, he made his debut in a 1-1 draw with Bournemouth in early February, however he was shaky and was possibly at fault for Dominic Solanke’s goal.
Kalvin Phillips | Gareth Southgate drops the West Ham Midfielder from National Squad for International Friendlies
He was withdrawn from the starting lineup against Arsenal and Manchester United before returning for the 2-0 loss to Nottingham Forest.
After being dropped again against Brentford, the 28-year-old began in the weekend’s draw with Burnley before being substituted at halftime with Southgate present.
Phillips was a vital player in the latter years of Southgate’s reign, as well as at the most recent European Championship in 2021.
His £42 million move to City from Leeds in 2022 was expected to consolidate his standing as a top player, but it has done the opposite, with defenders preferring him in midfield when Rodri was unavailable and minutes being scarce.
At West Ham, he has struggled to fit into David Moyes’ system, and his status at the conclusion of the season is unclear.
