It's fair to say that Kalvin Phillips probably hasn't played as much football as he would have liked to since joining Manchester City.
City parted with £42m to bring the holding midfielder across the Pennines from Leeds United, but so far this season he has not started any of City's competitive games. Phillips would have been under no illusions about his role in the squad when he signed his contract - Rodri is the undisputed starter at the base of midfield - but he might have expected to feature a little more.
However, City needn't worry about the England star kicking up a fuss or falling out with Pep Guardiola about his lack of minutes on the pitch.
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Last November rumours were rife that Phillips had fallen out with then-Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa. The Argentine coach substituted Phillips at half-time during a goalless draw with Brighton, sparking speculation of behind-the-scenes unrest.
Phillips rubbished those claims though, insisting that rumours of player-manager bust-ups are rarely accurate. "I respect him so much, I would never fall out with him [Bielsa]," Phillips said.
"When people are saying that, you kind of get the fans thinking something's not right, but that's not the case so I just want to put that one to bed. It's never been the case and I wanted to put that to bed."
The issue of squad depth is another dilemma Phillips can help solve. Guardiola likes to work with a trimmed squad, but with just 18 senior outfield players at his disposal, the Blues are just a few injuries away from a crisis.
Midfield is a particularly light area of the squad, but Phillips has made it clear in the past that he is more than willing to play in any position if it is for the good of the team.
"I will play any position the manager asks me," he said on Amazon Prime. "If he [Bielsa] wants me to play centre-back I will play centre-back, if he wants me to play goalkeeper I'll play goalkeeper."
When it comes to attitude, professionalism and versatility, Guardiola has nothing to worry about with his summer signing.
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