TalkSPORT pundit Adrian Durham has blasted Pep Guardiola for not giving Phil Foden a fair enough crack at breaking into the Manchester City first team.

Foden has been used sporadically since making his debut in November 2017, with 45 appearances and eight goals across the last two years.

Durham seemed furious as Foden was an unused substitute in the weekend defeat to Liverpool, directing his ire at his Spanish manager for leaving such a talent on the bench so often.

He said on TalkSPORT: “Phil Foden is talked up – and I’m not saying he’s the saviour of City’s title challenge – but we’ll never know.

“He’s got three defeats under his belt, Pep Guardiola, in the Premier League – that’s probably going to mean they have no chance of winning the title this season.

“And Phil Foden’s been nowhere to be seen. He hasn’t been given a chance. That lack of chance given to Phil Foden is totally unacceptable. Why is Pep Guardiola so against giving Phil Foden a chance?”

Foden is well-known to Guardiola. He handed him his debut in the Champions League nearly two years ago, and even recently apologised to the teenager after impressing in one of many cameos in a City shirt to date.

Durham may not need to make Guardiola aware of the option Foden offers, but with an average of little over 39 minutes per appearance (as per Transfermarkt) you can see where the pundit’s anger stems from.

And for the City boss to afford such little time to a player he once labelled as ‘the most talented player he has ever seen’, his continued bit-part role at the club seems even more confusing.

Perhaps Guardiola has struggled to integrate the youngster into a team full to the brim with stars, but for a player who scored more than the likes of Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne last season, it seems the youngster has been hard done by despite his promising performances for City so far.

City fans, should Foden be playing more often? Let us know your thoughts below!