Manchester City receive major Phil Foden team news boost ahead of Arsenal showdown

Pep Guardiola has insisted that Phil Foden is ready to make his full return to action for Manchester City against Arsenal this weekend, and could complete the match.

The 24-year-old has featured on just two previous occasions prior to the meeting with Arsenal on Sunday, without having completed 90 minutes due to a mixture of illness and fitness difficulties during the opening weeks of the campaign.

Despite featuring on the opening weekend of the season as Manchester City cruised to a 0-2 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, Foden would not reappear in match action for the club until Wednesday night and his appearance from the substitutes bench against Inter Milan.

The England international’s absence was put down to illness by Pep Guardiola, and also led to Foden withdrawing from Lee Carsley’s opening Three Lions squad in his new role as interim head coach of the national team.

Speaking ahead of Manchester City’s return to Premier League action following UEFA Champions League duties, Pep Guardiola has gone into detail as to how Foden’s start to the season has been, and how important an extended break from last season is for the midfielder.

“Every player needs a break, a rest, and he had some disturbances in the last weeks, but he played a good 45 minutes in the last game (against Inter Milan),” said Guardiola.

“He was the best player in the Premier League last season, so of course we need him, to make competition and fight with the other midfield players, the other wingers. And yeah, it’s important that he’s back.”

Guardiola continued, “He played good minutes (in midweek) and unfortunately the final decisions needed a little bit more calm to take it (chances), but his intensity and pressing, and his movements in the small pockets is one of the best in the world.

“So that’s why we’re very pleased, he’s pleased, and you can imagine how pleased I am that he’s back.”

On whether Phil Foden is now ready to complete 90 minutes for Manchester City this season, following a period of extended absence through illness, Pep Guardiola confirmed, “Yeah, I think so!”

It remains to be seen where Pep Guardiola will look to reintegrate Phil Foden into his first-team set-up on a regular basis this season, amid strong form from the side’s existing midfielders and the re-signing of Ilkay Gundogan from FC Barcelona.

However, Oscar Bobb’s injury and absence from the right-wing, as well as fitness concerns around Kevin De Bruyne following the clash with Inter Milan, gives Pep Guardiola plenty of choice when it comes to Foden’s positioning this weekend in particular.