Man City news: Expert suggests the real reason for Phil Foden setback – ‘all of a sudden’
Pep Guardiola is “lucky” to have incredible depth in his Man City squad while Phil Foden struggles with a recurring foot injury.
That is the view of medical expert Ben Dinnery, who runs the Premier Injuries site and has a background in injury and data analysis, speaking exclusively to Football Insider.
Foden has been absent from Man City’s last two Premier League matches against Wolves and Tottenham, and his last full 90 minutes in the top flight came against Brentford back in December.
Pep Guardiola revealed Foden suffered the foot injury during the Manchester derby last month and added that it’s a recurring issue for the 22-year-old.
The Spaniard added on Saturday (4 February) that Foden could make a return to the side against Tottenham this weekend after a strong week of training.
Dinnery believes Foden’s injury is a result of “overuse” at Man City, and insists the young midfielder needed some time out of the team to recover.
“Phil Foden’s injury looks to be an overuse problem at Man City,” Dinnery told Football Insider.
“It might be something which is aggravated or reacts when a player increases load.
“Those kinds of injuries are confusing as the response can vary from day to day.
“You know, you can have three or four days where you know you don’t have any issues, and then all of a sudden it may flare up for no apparent reason.
“Obviously, it’s best to ease the player back in that situation.
“Guardiola is lucky that he is managing a really strong squad with lots of depth and quality in each department as it allows him to give Foden the rest he needs.
“It is a worry in regard to the problem itself, but City should be able to give Foden the best conditions possible to recover.“
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