Sam Allardyce has suggested that Phil Foden could become frustrated at Manchester City if he doesn’t play regularly this season.
After it was revealed that Kevin De Bruyne will be facing four months out of action with a hamstring injury, the Englishman found himself starting midweek’s Super Cup match against Sevilla in midfield rather than his usual wide position.
With the Belgian now set to miss a large chunk of the season, one former Premier League manager has had his say on what this could mean for Foden moving forward.
Allardyce says Foden could become frustrated if he doesn’t play
Speaking on a recent episode of the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast, Allardyce had this to say about Foden and the possibility of him playing in a midfield role due to De Bruyne’s injury.
He said: “You can play Phil Foden in there for me and I think Phil is going to get incredibly frustrated if he goes back to what happened last season when he got left out because now he’s at a mature age where 25 or 20 games is not enough anymore.
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“He can create, he can assist and he can score, so he can play in one, because obviously, Jack Grealish is the preferred choice on the left.”
Last season saw the 23-year-old make 48 appearances for Pep Guardiola’s side in all competitions, starting 29 of them.
With his versatility and ability to be a dangerous player in front of goal by scoring 15 goals and delivering eight assists last season, it’s safe to say that the England international is an important figure for the team.
Now that Riyad Mahrez has left the club and De Bruyne is out of action for the next few months, it feels likely that Foden will be a prominent figure in City’s team, whether it being him feature in a midfield role or out wide, which would avoid the possibility of him becoming frustrated as Allardyce mentioned.