Pep Guardiola sends clear Phil Foden message ahead of squad decision

Phil Foden was in fine form for Manchester City as he scored twice in the 4-1 win over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.

Pep Guardiola has told Phil Foden to continue pushing himself to improve so that he is ready to take his chance with England if the call comes from Thomas Tuchel.

Foden scored two stunning goals for Manchester City as they eased to a 4-1 win against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Wednesday, issuing a timely reminder to Tuchel ahead of Friday's announcement of his latest England squad.

The City academy graduate was one of several big names left out of the October squad as Tuchel opted for familiarity from an impressive camp in September, but with the World Cup beginning to loom into view, he will be desperate to get back in the group.

Guardiola insists the whole world knows the quality Foden can deliver and backed the 25-year-old to make an impact if he is handed a recall by Tuchel, who faces the difficulty of trying to build a cohesive team from a wide group of players and in a short period of time.

"Thomas is so smart and wise, he knows what the team needs. I think Thomas knows Phil perfectly. Phil, what to do is play better and better," said Guardiola.

"The national team is different from a [club] team, it’s a short time [together]. It’s creating a team when you not a team, not together every day.

"There is no person in this country or around the world who doesn’t know his quality and ability, but England is so lucky to have a mountain of good players and that is why Phil has to push himself to be better and better. Because when he’s going to be called, he has to say ‘okay, I am going to show how good I am’"

Foden's double against Dortmund were his first goals since September 24 but he has been in excellent form this season and Guardiola is sure he is back to his best, having struggled on and off the pitch last term.

"This season he’s back," the City boss said. "Not [just] Phil, all of us we struggle, me first, but it happened.

"When Phil is at that level, playing between the lines, in the pockets, his first touch his turn. And after his generosity, running and fighting. Phil is happy and in love, enjoying it, you don’t have to say much, he’s a special player, but we need his goals and hopefully today is the first step to do it. It’s important to have him back.

"Two seasons ago when we won the fourth Premier League in a row he was the best player in the Premier League.

“He's a top class player, we miss him a lot, especially when he's happy. And now you feel he's back and after that he can do whatever he wants."

---

Here at the Manchester Evening News, we’re dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester City coverage and analysis.

Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest City news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.

You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day’s biggest stories.

And finally, if you’d rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Talking City podcast. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.