Manchester City star Phil Foden has had a very busy period with England during the 2024 European Championship.
After making 53 appearances for Pep Guardiola’s side across all competitions the 24-year-old was selected to be in the England squad for this summer’s tournament in Germany.
The midfielder then went on to start all of the Three Lions’ group games before having to temporarily leave the camp so he could fly back to England and be with his partner for the birth of their third child.
With Foden set to return to Germany and link back up with his international teammates before Sunday’s knockout match against Slovakia, one former England manager has shared his thoughts on this short absence.
Sam Allardyce says he’d be worried about Phil Foden’s recent England absence
In a recent edition of No Tippy Tappy Football, Sam Allardyce was asked if Foden’s recent temporary absence from the England squad could be a concern for Southgate.
He said: “It would worry me, yeah. It would worry me a little bit. There’s the adrenaline of a newborn and that adrenaline will carry over into the game. You know, the euphoria of that gets you through it and you go, wow, you know, here we go.”
Southgate should have no worries about Foden
After seeing him score 19 goals and deliver eight assists in 35 Premier League games last season, Chris Sutton recently claimed that the midfielder was the best performer in the top flight across the campaign.
In our view, the only way this short trip away from the England camp could be an issue for Southgate is if it led to Foden missing vital training sessions or tactical meetings about Sunday’s big game.
However, with the FA giving the City star permission to leave and then with him returning in good time for the next match, we think this isn’t something for the England boss to be too concerned with, despite what Allardyce has said.