Phil Foden is hoping to play his way back into England manager Thomas Tuchel’s plans after being left out of the squad for last summer’s World Cup and this season’s Nations League matches. The next squad is due to be announced on Friday, although a recall for the upcoming games may come too soon.
“Hopefully, one day the call-up might come back,” Foden said. He added that being dropped is part of football’s ups and downs and that he needs to keep performing. Foden also said he has had little contact with Tuchel since the World Cup and has not discussed what the manager wants to see from him.
The 26-year-old was sent off after 23 minutes of Manchester City’s September win at Manchester United, receiving a three-match ban. With the incident coming a week before the last international break, he then went more than a month without playing. Foden said the pause gave him time with his family and an opportunity to work on parts of his game, and that he returned feeling fresh and sharp. He added that he has recently been involved in several goals and is pleased with how his season is going.
Ahead of City’s Champions League match against RB Leipzig on Wednesday, manager Enzo Maresca said the team cannot depend on Erling Haaland to score in every game and needs goals from other players. City’s 1-0 defeat to Brighton on Saturday was the first time the side had failed to score this season. Haaland has scored 13 goals in all competitions, seven more than the next highest scorer, Rayan Cherki; Foden has four, including a hat-trick against AEK Athens in City’s previous European match.
Foden scored a career-best 27 goals in the 2023-24 season. Asked whether he could help Haaland more and return to that level, he said regular playing time, feeling positive and getting into the right positions would be important, adding that he is gradually getting closer to it.
Sources: The Guardian Sport.