Pep Guardiola addressed Phil Foden’s situation after the midfielder missed his second straight Premier League match for Manchester City due to illness.
Guardiola expressed doubt that Foden will join the England squad for the upcoming UEFA Nations League games against Ireland and Finland, despite being named in Lee Carsley’s roster. Foden has been dealing with stomach pains that started after City’s match against Chelsea two weeks ago, and as a result, he was absent from both the Ipswich and West Ham victories.
City’s medical team doesn’t consider the issue to be serious, and there’s hope that Foden will be fit for their home game against Brentford in two weeks. However, Guardiola would be surprised if Foden plays for England before then. Even though he received an international call-up, Foden has not been available for his club’s last two fixtures.
“I don’t think so,” Guardiola said regarding Foden’s England participation. “I think he will not go, but I don’t know. He doesn’t feel well; otherwise, he would be here. He’s got some stomach discomfort and a little virus, but people say with antibiotics he should be fine.”
Meanwhile, Jack Grealish will rejoin the England squad after reclaiming his spot following his disappointment at the Euros. Guardiola is pleased that Grealish has more opportunities to boost his confidence. However, with City off to a perfect start this season, Guardiola remains cautious about the upcoming international break, where player fitness will be out of the club’s control.
“Hopefully he can come back fit and better. I want all my English players to go to the national team when they’re fit, and the same for players of other nationalities,” Guardiola said. “I don’t like it when they’re not fully fit and still go, but with the power of the national team, there’s nothing we can do.”
