Pep Guardiola has “absolutely” concerns about Phil Foden, despite the Manchester City player struggling to impress in his international duty with England.
Foden failed to impress in games against Uruguay and Japan, and manager Thomas Tuchel admitted he was not certain he would be included in England’s World Cup squad.
Foden has only started one of Man City’s last eight games and made no substitute appearances in three of those.
Asked if he was worried about Foden’s decline in form, Guardiola said: “Zero. He’s 25 (years old) and he’s made six Premier League appearances. His contribution is incredible. What happened is a normal process in a long, long career. It’s a normal situation. Once he clicks, things will improve.”
“I know Rodri’s intentions.”
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With his future at Man City up in the air, we take a look at Rodri’s top five goals for the club
Guardiola also briefly downplayed Rodri’s comments that appeared to hint at his interest in Real Madrid. Asked what he thought about the midfielder’s future at the club, he replied: “I don’t have an opinion. I know the club’s intentions. I know his intentions and I think so.”
The City manager has been more upbeat about Mohamed Salah’s achievements as he prepares to welcome Liverpool to the Etihad Stadium in Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final, following news that this will be the Egyptian’s last visit in a Liverpool shirt.
Manager Guardiola said: “He’s definitely one of the best players. He’s got great numbers and consistency. Incredible humanity, goals, assists, an absolute legend. Not just for Liverpool, of course, but also for the Premier League.” “I think it’s a good time to say goodbye to him.”
Pep: Schedules mean nothing.
Guardiola also admitted that Manchester City’s schedule was busier and wished they were still in Europe, but still criticized the strain on his players.
City are facing a free week following their exit from the Champions League against Real Madrid, and Guardiola has said he hopes to remain in the competition, but dismissed the demands placed on his players during the international break.
“I would like to have a busy and busy schedule by playing in the Champions League next week midweek, but unfortunately I have to miss out,” he said.
“But we are concentrating on the next game and preparing for the next game against Chelsea after a long time. This is one of the last chances we still have to be there for a minimal chance in the Premier League. We are concentrating on that.”
Guardiola insists he has “always” been mentally sharp as he has benefited from breaks during international matches, but points out that is not the case for everyone. “It’s an international ‘break’ except for players accompanying the national team.”
He added: “It’s still very difficult for me to understand how it’s possible to bring players from other continents to friendlies when you’ve been fighting all the titles every three days in eight or nine months.
“It’s completely different when you have to qualify and it’s a friendly. The risk of injury is so big and there’s really, really no point.”
How good will Pep be against Liverpool?
Richard Morgan of Sky Sports:
Both Man City and Liverpool still have a good chance of winning this season. So it will be interesting to see whether Pep Guardiola and Arne Slott continue their form at the Etihad this Saturday lunchtime.
City, who have already won their first trophy of the season by defeating Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final last month, could be aiming for a domestic treble at the end of May. And following the club’s recent exit from the Champions League, Guardiola will spend a valuable week with his players as they prepare for their crucial next league game against Chelsea on April 12th.
City should therefore field their strongest lineup this weekend, but that may not be the case for the visiting team. There is a possibility of winning the FA Cup and Champions League this season, but it may seem unlikely.
But with Alisson Becker, Jeremy Frimpong and Mohamed Salah all injury doubts, Slott faces a further selection dilemma ahead of the trip to Manchester, while the Dutchman must also factor in Wednesday’s Champions League last-eight game against Paris Saint-Germain and the visit of Fulham three days later as the Reds aim to return to Europe’s top club competition next season.
Three awkward matches in three different competitions in a taxing seven days will almost certainly mean that Slott will have to juggle playing resources at the Etihad, and there is a strong possibility of handing the initiative to the hosts in what is sure to be a close match.
