As Manchester City and Ipswich Town confirmed their starting lineups for today’s match at the Etihad Stadium there was one major surprise in City’s matchday squad. Phil Foden wasn’t named in City’s squad for the clash with the newly-promoted Tractor Boys.
A report from Michael Plant of Manchester World via X indicates that Phil Foden is out of today’s game due to illness. An update from Pep Guardiola is expected when he fronts the media before today’s match.
It is a blow for Manchester City to be without Foden for today’s match. He is one of the best players in the Premier League. Foden is also crucial to Manchester City given the impact he has on games. Last season, he claimed the FWA Men’s Footballer of the Year, the Premier League Player of the Season and this week, he also claimed the PFA Men’s Player of the Year award. That haul shows just how good a player Phil Foden has become.
While it is a blow for Manchester City to be without the services of Foden the champions have still named a strong lineup for today’s match. Pep Guardiola has named an unchanged starting lineup from last weekend’s win over Chelsea. That means there will be a home debut for new signing Savinho.
With Phil Foden out of today’s game, there may be a chance that Ilkay Gundogan plays a part in today’s match. The German international was named on the bench for today’s game.
So while it is a blow for Manchester City to not have Phil Foden available there may be a silver lining to that scenario with Ilkay Gundogan’s return.