Lee Carsley suffers England blow as attacker set to withdraw from squad

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has admitted that Phil Foden is likely to withdraw from the England squad for September's international matches.

After an outstanding 2023-24 campaign in which he scored 19 goals and won the PFA Players' Player of the Year award, the 24-year-old has endured a disrupted start to his 2024-25 season.

Foden played the second half of his side's opening victory over Chelsea, before missing the champions' subsequent wins over Ipswich Town and West Ham United due to illness.

The bug is proving tricky for the winger to overcome, but he was nevertheless summoned to Lee Carsley's first England squad for September's League B Nations League openers.

Beginning their quest for an immediate promotion back to the top tier of the tournament following their 2022-23 relegation, England face the Republic of Ireland in Dublin on September 7, three days before hosting Finland at Wembley.

Guardiola: 'I don't think Foden will play for England'

© Imago

Speaking to the press after City's 3-1 win over West Ham on Saturday, Guardiola said that he does not expect Foden to join up with the national team this month, but the FA will make the final decision.

"I don't think so right now. I think he will not go, but I don't know. He doesn't feel well — otherwise he would be here. But like I said before, national teams decide," the Evening Standard quotes Guardiola as saying.

The City boss also confirmed that Foden was currently on a course of antibiotics, adding: "He doesn't feel good. It's his stomach, a little, little virus. Some people said antibiotics and so on will be fine."

From 41 matches in an England shirt - 30 of which have come from the first whistle - Foden has scored four goals and set up eight more, starting all of the Three Lions' games at Euro 2024.

The 24-year-old did not directly contribute to a goal in Germany, though, and he has now gone 14 international matches without scoring or assisting since netting in a friendly win over Scotland in September 2023.

Which other players are missing from the England squad?

© Reuters

Despite Guardiola's comments, there has not been any confirmation from the FA that Foden is out of the squad just yet, although it would not make much sense for Carsley to select an ill player.

As a result, Foden's expected withdrawal should be confirmed imminently, and he is one of two high-profile playmakers absent from Carsley's ranks alongside Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham.

The 21-year-old is currently nursing a muscular problem which should not heal fully until the end of September, and Carsley also opted against calling up Foden's Man City teammate Kyle Walker.

Reece James, Luke Shaw and Jarrad Branthwaite are absent too, while Kieran Trippier's retirement and Ben White not performing an expected U-turn leaves England rather short in the full-back areas, although Tino Livramento's maiden senior call-up has eased concerns slightly.

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