Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has expressed his desire to help Phil Foden return to his peak performance, following the midfielder’s public statements about struggling both on and off the pitch.
Foden, 24, revealed that off-field issues and an ankle injury sustained against Manchester United in April contributed to him being below his best, and he is now focused on getting his head “mentally right.”
“It’s true, Phil said that and of course he has not been [at his best],” Guardiola commented. “[He hasn’t been at his best] not [just] for him, all of us, his family, for us – he’s a baby boy from the academy and become a star with us.”
“We want to help him, that’s the most important thing. He needs rest and it’s going to happen now after Sunday.”
City concludes a disappointing season with an away match against Fulham in the Premier League on Sunday (kick-off 16:00 BST). A point from this game should secure Champions League football for next season.
On Friday, Foden was omitted from England manager Thomas Tuchel’s squad for the upcoming matches against Andorra and Senegal in early June. Tuchel stated that Foden requires time to recover from his ankle injury and to “re-find the joy in his game.”
