Manchester City: Phil Foden ‘struggling’ in race to be fit for Arsenal

Chloe Chadwick 23 January 2023, 12:10 2 minutes read

Phil-Foden-celebrates-scoring-for-Manchester-City

Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain - January 8, 2023. Manchester City's Phil Foden celebrates scoring.

Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden is ‘struggling’ in the race to be fit for the FA Cup game vs Arsenal on Friday, according to Pep Guardiola.

The Lowdown: Unexplained absence

The England international was replaced during the Premier League derby vs Manchester United earlier this month, but at the time, there was no suggestion that it was due to injury.

The Sky Blues playmaker, however, was an unused substitute in the following fixture against Tottenham and was also absent from the match-day squad vs Wolves, where an update on his situation has now been provided.

The Latest: Guardiola’s update

Speaking post-match after the 3-0 victory at the Etihad on Sunday, Guardiola confirmed that Foden sustained a knock during the United clash and revealed that he’s a major doubt for this week’s tie vs Arsenal.

Quoted by Manchester Evening News, he said: “It was an action in Old Trafford, jam with [Aaron] Wan-Bissaka.

“When he falls down he has a problem in his feet. He’s struggling so far. Painful, two or three days rest, gets better, then down. We decide with the doctors to stay to recover well.

“We will see if he arrives to Arsenal, if he’s not fit we wait until the next game at Spurs. Otherwise, he doesn’t train well, he’s a bit uncomfortable. That’s why we decide with the doctors to have two or three days off and see if he gets better.”

The Verdict: Potential blow

Foden is an integral member of City’s first team having been hailed a ‘word-class’ player by scout Jacek Kulig, so it would be a huge blow should Guardiola not have him available for selection for such an important game.

The Stockport-born talent has already made 13 goal contributions in 27 games across all competitions this season and offers plenty of versatility with the flexibility to operate in six various positions (Transfermarkt).

City do have plenty of other options at their disposal to face the Gunners so there’s definitely no need to panic about cover, but the boss will of course be hoping that Foden stages a return as soon as possible.