Not even a month ago, Kalvin Phillips was plotting his route back into the Manchester City side. Rodri had been sent off foolishly against Nottingham Forest, and Phillips had three games to show Pep Guardiola what he can offer City - and crucially, what he has learned.

Phillips could have left City in the summer, turning down the club's suggestion that a loan move could be beneficial. After the Forest game, he said: "I am not going to have just one season at City and just because I am not playing just say 'oh well, I have been here for a year and enjoyed it but it's not for me'."

The midfielder vowed to break his way into the City midfield, adding: "I want to try and make a name for myself at Manchester City." Now, he seems to accept that he might not be able to do that, seemingly opening the door for a possible January exit.

When speaking after the Forest game, Phillips said he had been waiting for an opportunity like Rodri's red card to come along. He told reporters that he never had any intention to leave in the summer, instead vowing to fight for his place at City. He called the next three games the 'biggest week' of his City career so far.

He started the first of those three games at Newcastle - a Carabao Cup tie he would likely have started regardless of Rodri's ban - and looked okay but unspectacular. That in itself was better than some previous performances, but wasn't enough to keep his place at Wolves the following weekend. Mateo Kovacic started at Molineux, as did pantomime villain Matheus Nunes, and when Nunes was replaced at half-time, youngster Oscar Bobb came on ahead of Phillips for the second 45 minutes. Phillips played the final 26 minutes and Wolves scored their winning goal a minute after he came on.

Rodri returned in the Champions League at RB Leipzig so Phillips sat on the bench, and he was unused at Arsenal with Rico Lewis and Bernardo Silva preferred in midfield. Even when Mateo Kovacic was a walking red card, Phillips wasn't called upon, with Nunes brought on for the Croatian instead.

Phillips was left out of England's second-string starting XI against Australia, coming off the bench for the final half-hour, but got a surprising start against Italy in what was closer to Gareth Southgate's strongest side. He put an early booking down to a lack of game-time, and admitted he was lucky not to see red for a later foul. That led to him coming off just before 70 minutes, and his City situation was in the spotlight post-match once again.

Gareth Southgate praised Phillips' form for England, but said he would 'ideally' be playing more for City. Phillips turned his attention to Euro 2024 in the summer, accepting that in order to make the Three Lions squad he needs to be playing more football.

"He [Southgate] just says that for me to keep my spot I have to be playing games," Phillips said. "That's what I want to do. I have agreed with Gareth on that."

"I want to play football and want to play as much as possible. Over the last year-and-a-half I haven't been able to do that due to injuries and [other factors]. It's something I am going to have to think about. Hopefully my chance does come but if it doesn't then I will have to make other decisions as well."

Either he knuckles down at City and shows Guardiola he is deserving of more gametime, or he makes the brave decision to look for another club in January that can offer the minutes he needs to impress Southgate.

When asked if he would be knocking on Guardiola's door on his return to City, asking for more games, Phillips didn't take the bait, aware that such a tactic would probably backfire on him. He replied: "I want minutes and I want to go to the Euros. We'll see what happens."

It's up to him to decide where those minutes come from.