Phil Foden injury: Progress & potential return date for Man City star
Gareth Southgate was dealt a blow ahead of England's second Euro 2024 qualifier with Phil Foden pulling out of the squad.
The Manchester City star came off the bench in his nation's 2-1 win over Italy but was taken off just 12 minutes later as a result of Gareth Southgate needing another defender following the dismissal of Luke Shaw.
He would have been hoping to have played a bigger part in the match with Ukraine that followed, but won't be able to after pulling out of the squad with a medical issue.
So, what exactly is the issue and how long will it keep him out for?
Why did Phil Foden pull out of the England squad?
It wasn't an injury he picked up during training or a match that forced Foden to leave the England camp, but a bout of acute appendicitis.
Subsequently, the Man City man had to leave the England camp immediately to undergo surgery in London to have his appendix removed.
It's a safe and common procedure, but it still takes a number of weeks to fully recover from it, and Foden has returned to Manchester to do so.
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What Man City games could Phil Foden miss?
Man City have yet to confirm just how long their player will be out for, but did state he'll be unavailable for the match against Liverpool next weekend.
"Manchester City can confirm Phil Foden has left the England squad after undergoing surgery in London for acute appendicitis. Phil will now return to Manchester to begin rehabilitation," a club statement reads.
"He will not be fit for this weekend’s Premier League game at home to Liverpool and it is unclear at this stage how long he will be unavailable for.
"Everyone at Manchester City wishes Phil a speedy recovery."
It generally takes around a fortnight at the least to fully recover following the operation, meaning Foden will most likely miss City's game against Southampton as well, but could be fit to play against Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
Man City's upcoming fixtures
- 01/04/2023 - Manchester City v Liverpool (12:30) -BT Sport
- 08/04/2023 - Southampton v Manchester City (17:30) - Sky Sports
- 11/04/2023 - Manchester City v Bayern Munich (Champions League, 20:00) - BT Sport
- 16/04/2023 - Manchester City v Leicester City (16:30) - Sky Sports
- 19/04/2023 - Bayern Munich v Manchester City (Champions League, 20:00) - BT Sport
- 22/04/2023 - Manchester City vs Sheffield United (FA Cup)
- 26/04/2023 - Manchester City v Arsenal (20:00) - BT Sport
- 30/04/2023 - Fulham v Manchester City (14:00) - Sky Sports