Guardiola Announces Phillips Will Start Against Newcastle

Kalvin Phillips will make his first start of the season when Manchester City faces Newcastle United in the English Football League Cup tomorrow (Wednesday), as coach Pep Guardiola rotates his lineup to manage a busy schedule. The England midfielder joined City last year but has struggled to make an impact, dealing with a shoulder injury and receiving criticism from Guardiola after returning overweight from the World Cup. The 27-year-old came on as a substitute in the 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest after Rodri was sent off last Saturday. Guardiola told reporters on Tuesday: "Yes, Phillips will play from the start. The second half against Forest was a bit more defensive... and he provided three or four amazing options that helped us win." Mateo Kovacic and Jack Grealish are also expected to play. Kovacic has missed the last three matches due to injury, while Grealish participated towards the end of Saturday's match after returning from a hamstring injury. The coach stated: "Jack has improved a lot, and Mateo too. I don’t know how many minutes from the start or second half, but they will play."