Phil Foden wants England recall and says he has not spoken to Tuchel

Phil Foden hopes to return to the England squad and says he has had no contact with Thomas Tuchel since the World Cup. Omitted from the squad for that tournament and then for this season’s Nations League matches, the Manchester City player wants to convince the manager to bring him back into the fold.

“I hope that, one day, the call-up comes back,” Foden said. “Football has its ups and downs. You have to do your best and keep delivering good performances.” England’s next squad is due to be announced on Friday, though a recall for Foden may come too soon. He nevertheless wants to put himself back into Tuchel’s plans.

Foden said the manager had not approached him since the World Cup to explain what he wanted to see from him. “No, I haven’t really spoken to him, to be honest, so there’s not much to say about that,” he added.

Foden also reflected on his sending-off against Manchester United in September, after 23 minutes, which brought a three-match ban. “I had that unfortunate red against United, but the break did me good: I came back fresh and sharp,” he said. He believes he has been involved in a lot of goals recently and is pleased with his season. After the dismissal, he spent time with his family and went on holiday. He said the break felt unusually long, but gave him time to work on parts of his game.

On his form, Foden stressed the importance of playing regularly and staying positive. “Being in the right positions and, hopefully, getting back to that level — I’m gradually getting there,” he said. In the 2023-4 season, he scored 27 goals, the highest total of his career.

On a separate topic, Enzo Maresca said his team could not rely on Erling Haaland to score in every match, ahead of the Champions League game against RB Leipzig. He called for the other players to contribute more. Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to Brighton was the first match this season in which his side had failed to score. The Guardian reports that Haaland has 13 goals, seven more than Rayan Cherki, and credits him with 34 goals in all competitions.