TalkSPORT pundit Scott Minto believes Gareth Southgate does not trust one Manchester City player.
Euro 2024 is just around the corner and expectations are growing for England to not only have a strong showing but to finally win a trophy.
Though frailties at the back remain, Gareth Southgate is blessed with a wealth of attacking options which would be the envy of any nation.
Promisingly for the Three Lions, many of their best players are also enjoying incredible seasons.
Harry Kane is the leading goalscorer in Europe, Jude Bellingham is tearing it up for Real Madrid and Phil Foden is playing his best football yet for Manchester City.
While there is no doubt Kane and Bellingham will be in their favoured positions in Germany, there are still plenty of questions about where – and even if – Foden will play.
Many hope to see Foden line up in a central position but Scott Minto doesn’t believe Southgate trusts him there.
Scott Minto on Phil Foden
Speaking on TalkSPORT, Minto said: “It’s a really interesting one and we can talk about it. One, he has to play and two, I want to see him in the middle.
“I don’t think he trusts him in the middle. I don’t think Gareth will play him in a 433 or even a 4231 in the middle.
“Because Bellingham is that No.10 and doing that in Real Madrid. I think we’ll see him out wide. I just want to see him in the side.
“He absolutely can [Belling play in double pivot] but then the pressure will be on ‘well where does he play for Real Madrid?’ and he’s absolutely bossing it for the biggest club in the world.
“I think a 433 with Bellingham, Foden and Rice there would be amazing, you just have to find someone on the left who’s in great form but there’s lots of very good attacking players.
“Whether he [Foden] plays in the middle, whether he plays out wide, he finds a way doesn’t he?
“To come from out wide to get in the middle and I thought he was sensational against Manchester United.”
Where will Phil Foden play for England?
It would be remarkable if Foden wasn’t in the England starting XI. Truly startling.
The 23-year-old is the Premier League’s in-form player and such a talent should be utilised fully.
But where will he play? In a dream world, it would be alongside Declan Rice and Bellingham to form a formidable midfield trio.
However, there is an argument for him to play out on the left, too.
England aren’t blessed with loads of options for the left-wing slot, with Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish both out of form.
Foden has played the majority of his career out wide and can still have huge impacts on games from the flanks. A front three of Foden, Kane and Bukayo Saka is also very frightening.
Then Southgate will be able to sure up the midfield with another defensive-minded player to keep England solid, which works in international tournaments.
It will be interesting to see what the England boss does.
