Pep Guardiola expects Phil Foden to make a swift return for England after he was one of a number of eye-catching omissions from Thomas Tuchel’s latest squad on Friday.
Tuchel also left out Jude Bellingham and the in-form Jack Grealish for matches against Wales and Latvia, with this the third straight England squad Foden has missed.
After falling short of his own highest standards last season the 25-year-old has found better form this term, with two goals and two assists in seven appearances for Manchester City to date.
“Thomas knows what he needs for the national team a thousand million times better than me,” Guardiola said. “All I can say is that if Phil is still playing like he is playing, he will be back.
“I am happy when players go to the national team but I am even more happy when they come back healthy, that’s for sure.”
Foden seems certain to start on Sunday when City head to one of his favourite hunting grounds to face Brentford, where he has scored six goals in four appearances.
“He’s the best player we have in the small spaces in the final third by far,” Guardiola added. “Last year we missed his goals and assists. The desire to score a goal is the best we have.”
City head to west London on the back of Wednesday’s 2-2 Champions League draw away to Monaco. Erling Haaland’s brace was not enough as they missed chances for a decisive third before Eric Dier won and scored a late penalty.
Haaland did not hold back in his post-match interviews, saying he was “p***** off” by the result.
“All of us were,” Guardiola said when asked about Haaland’s comments, adding he was happy to see that sort of response from one of the leaders in his dressing room even if he does not say such things himself.
“What can I say? I like when they are like this,” he added. “My feelings about the team when it’s bad… in front of you I don’t like to express it. I like to have it to myself, my players, in the basement. I like to share it there.”
Guardiola may have had his mind on the midweek trip to Monaco but the Catalan admitted he spent last Sunday gripped by the thrilling conclusion to the Ryder Cup, as Luke Donald’s Europe team held off a spirited United States fightback to take a famous 15-13 win in New York.
The keen golf fan now hopes to invite some of the players to City to hear about their experience.
“What a Sunday,” Guardiola said. “Congratulations to Luke Donald and his guys. It’s not easy to be in New York and beat USA. Oh God, the last day.
“I like when I listen to the Shane Lowry interview saying it was the worst six hours of his life. They say that, after playing Masters and US Opens and Opens and everything with that feeling, but the Ryder Cup is that…
“It is another lesson in sport – it’s done when it’s done. You lose the Premier League when you lose the Premier League, not before. You win it when you win it, and anything can happen before.”
PA
