City Boss Guardiola Provides Fitness Update on Foden and Savinho

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has offered an update on Phil Foden’s fitness, revealing that the England midfielder is nearing a return to action after missing the last three games due to illness.

Foden, 24, has been sidelined for the past three weeks, missing City’s matches against Ipswich, West Ham, and Brentford. He was also forced to withdraw from England’s squad for their fixtures against the Republic of Ireland and Finland, alongside Cole Palmer and Ollie Watkins.

“He didn’t train much, but he’s gradually getting back. I’m pleased he’s returning; we need him badly. He’s been training this week, but the game was tight, so I opted for other options,” Guardiola said, according to the Man City website.

Regarding Brazilian winger Savinho, who left the field in the final moments of the 2-1 victory over Brentford with what appeared to be a muscle issue, Guardiola commented, “It seems like cramp. I haven’t spoken to the doctor yet; we’ll see.”

Guardiola also expressed satisfaction with Rodrigo’s performance upon his return. The midfielder, who had an intense last season with both club and country, received an extended break before resuming training and now looks refreshed and ready.

“Rodri came on and played really well. He’s been recovering from an injury, had a few minutes with the national team, and played his first 45 minutes for us today. He felt good. Rodri is crucial for us, and while Kova has been outstanding, Rodri can’t play every minute, so we need to rotate. It was important for Gundo, Kyle, and John Stones to get some minutes as well,” Guardiola concluded.