A Phil Foden injury has resulted in the Manchester City man spending up to a month on the sidelines, according to James Ducker of The Telegraph. The Manchester City star initially suffered the setback on his foot while on international duty with England at Euro 2020.
Phil Foden Injury: Foot Injury Rules Him Out for a Month
Foden Expected to Return After the First International Break
The Telegraph claim Foden over flexed a muscle in his foot during a training session ahead of England’s clash with Italy on July 11. The 20-year-old was subsequently kept out of Gareth Southgate’s squad for the final altogether, which culminated in a narrow defeat for the Three Lions at Wembley.
City manager Pep Guardiola has experienced an unsettled pre-season, with most of his first-team squad returning late following respective Euro 2020 and Copa America participation. Foden had been due to return to training on Monday alongside England teammates Raheem Sterling, Kyle Walker and John Stones.
Foden, though, appears to have not made a quick enough recovery in time for the start of the new Premier League season. He is set to miss City’s fixtures against Tottenham Hotspur, Norwich City and Arsenal. The young forward will also miss England’s World Cup qualifiers against Hungary, Andorra and Poland in the first international break of the season.
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“Phil had a tough injury and could not play the final,” Guardiola said in a press conference on Saturday. “We have to be careful with this injury because if we don’t [we] anticipate it will be longer.”
Foden’s current timeline for return will see him back for City’s clash against Leicester City on September 11. However, it remains to be seen whether Guardiola would be willing to risk the young forward and may choose to ease him back instead. The Spaniard will likely call on the services of newly-acquired winger Jack Grealish, who signed for a British transfer record of £100 million last week.
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