Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips is set to undergo surgery on his shoulder this week, according to The Athletic’s David Ornstein.

The Lowdown: Phillips’ game-time at Man City

After signing for the Sky Blues this summer in a £45m deal, the former Leeds United colossus has struggled to establish himself as a regular in Pep Guardiola’s plans.

As a result, he has played just 13 minutes of first-team football across three matches so far this season, with two appearances in the Champions League and another in the Premier League.

Phillips was initially included in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the upcoming UEFA Nations League games against Italy and Germany taking place later this month, but it now looks like he won't be involved in either of those matches.

The Latest: Ornstein’s news

Ornstein has shared an injury update on Phillips for The Athletic, revealing the Yorkshire native is set to undergo surgery after struggling with a persistent shoulder issue.

Taking to Twitter in sharing the corresponding article, the reliable journalist claimed: “Kalvin Phillips set to undergo surgery on shoulder injury next week. There is optimism among Manchester City + England staff that the operation will allow 26yo midfielder to return in time for World Cup”.

The Verdict: Needs a quick recovery

Not only does Phillips need a swift recovery to make his return in time for the World Cup later this year, he also needs it so that he can establish himself at the Etihad Stadium and show Guardiola that he is worthy of a place in City’s starting XI.

As per FBRef, compared with positional peers across Europe over the past year, the 26-year-old ranks in the top 1% for pressures, the top 2% for blocks and the top 3% for tackles, illustrating his ability to dominate the midfield whilst playing at the highest level.

Having become a mainstay in the England national team since his emphatic breakthrough at Euro 2020, Phillips will be hoping that he can regain full fitness as soon as possible, so that he can get back playing to the level that he knows he can achieve.