Pep Guardiola doubts that Phil Foden will join the England squad after the midfielder missed two Manchester City games due to illness.
Although Foden is listed in Lee Carsley’s squad for the upcoming UEFA Nations League matches against Ireland and Finland, he has been dealing with stomach issues. The 24-year-old experienced discomfort after a game against Chelsea two weeks ago and was absent from City’s victories over Ipswich and West Ham.
City’s medical team believes Foden’s condition isn’t severe and expects him to be fit for their home match against Brentford in two weeks. However, Guardiola would be surprised if Foden played for England before then. Despite being selected for international duty, he has been unavailable for his club recently.
Guardiola commented, “I don’t think he’ll go, but I’m not sure. He isn’t feeling well; otherwise, he would be here. The national teams have the final say. He has a minor virus and stomach issues, but with antibiotics, he should recover soon.”
Meanwhile, Jack Grealish is set to rejoin the England squad after regaining his place following disappointment at the Euros. Guardiola is pleased that Grealish has the chance to boost his confidence. However, with City off to a strong start this season, there’s some concern about the upcoming international break and the players’ fitness, which will be out of the club’s control.
Guardiola added, “Hopefully, he returns fit and healthy. I want all my English players to represent the national team when they’re in good shape, and the same goes for other nationalities. I don’t like it when players aren’t fully fit and still go, but we have no control over national team decisions.”
