Phil Foden has temporarily departed England’s Euro 2024 camp, returning to the UK to be with his family for the birth of his third child.
Expected to rejoin the squad on Sunday, the day of the Three Lions’ round of 16 tie, his absence has complicated Gareth Southgate’s squad selection.
Foden will miss four days of training in the leadup to England’s first knockout match, though his importance to the team cannot be overstated, regularly representing the squad’s most creative attacking player this summer.
England’s group stage campaign has been wholly underwhelming, with the team facing widespread criticism for its overly cautious and uncreative style of play.
Southgate has been criticized for his team selection, which has seen Foden’s primary positional competitors, Anthony Gordon and Cole Palmer, spend much of the tournament on the sidelines despite being involved in 54 league goals between them last season.
The manager has also come under fire for his apparent unwillingness to refresh his squad selection and remedy the uninspired team. The midfield, highlighted by many as a key area of improvement, went unchanged between England’s first two matches, with the introduction of Conor Gallagher in place of Trent Alexander-Arnold in the third having little positive effect, if any.
Despite topping Group C, England scored just two goals in its three pool matches, pointing to an ineffective attacking setup. A final group stage date with Slovenia was arguably the worst performance yet, as England converted 73% possession into a staggering 746 passes but just four shots on target.
In that dreadfully dull outing, though, Foden was the only player who appeared either willing or able to create chances, justifying Southgate’s faith somewhat despite failing to replicate his club goalscoring form. In the first half, the Manchester City forward teed up a goal for Bukayo Saka which was unfortunately ruled out for offside, and later recorded England’s best chance of the first half, shooting a free kick from range to force a save from Jan Oblak.
Despite bringing quality to a side devoid of it, Foden was upstaged in the closing stages of the Slovenia test by Palmer and Gordon. Playing barely twenty minutes between them, the pair vindicated the fans who had been calling for their introduction throughout the tournament.
Palmer is not unused to being a team’s star player. He spent his club season dragging Chelsea almost single handedly to a sixth-place league finish and revolutionized England’s attack after coming on. His quick movement, smart passing, and positional flexibility was a revelation, and a far departure from the starters’ tentative approach.
Gordon, introduced in the 89th minute, played a piercing through ball to Kobbie Mainoo immediately after coming on, creating a crucial late chance which was let down by Palmer’s scuffed finish, just England’s second shot on target of the half.
Both players took their chance to impress, offering colourful displays which stood out against the grey backdrop of England’s previous Euro 2024 games.
Also available to fill in at left wing is Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze, who failed to impress after being called upon by Southgate to find a late winner against Denmark.
One difficulty with Foden’s understudies is a lack of international experience. Gordon, Eze, and Palmer have just 14 senior caps between them, paling in comparison to Foden’s 37. To make one’s major tournament debut in a round of 16 match would be something of a baptism by fire, an idea unlikely to appeal to the typically risk-averse Southgate.
Similarly, though, Foden would find himself facing intense scrutiny should he return to the starting eleven after taking leave from the camp.
Another roadblock is the drop in quality. Foden has become a star at Manchester City, playing an integral role in many of the 15 trophies he has won with the club. He also inadvertently played a role in Palmer’s move to Chelsea, as the latter felt he would have more first team opportunities in London than in the Northwest. Foden is a step above his competitors, as evidenced by Southgate’s unwavering faith in him to date, though it will be difficult for the manager to argue Foden’s case following his absence.
With Southgate under more pressure than ever following England’s worst major tournament group stage performance since he came into the job, there is no room for error.
