Tuchel Cautions: Foden Faces Uncertainty for England’s World Cup Selection

Foden found it difficult to adapt to an unfamiliar role in attack during England’s 1-0 friendly loss to Japan on Tuesday, with Harry Kane absent from the squad.

Despite a promising start to the season, the 25-year-old has recently seen his standing within Pep Guardiola’s squad at Manchester City diminish.

“He gave it his all. I would say he performed exceptionally well in training camp, but, unfortunately, he struggles to translate that onto the pitch,” Tuchel remarked.

“Clearly, he hasn’t had many minutes with City lately. He arrived at camp radiating positivity, was fantastic in training, and I thought he would surprise us by playing with the same enthusiasm and flair.

“However, he is finding it hard to make a significant impact.”

Foden has often struggled to replicate his impressive form from Manchester City on the international stage, even during the run-up to the Euro 2024 final, where he had just won accolades as the Premier League player of the year.

He now faces strong competition from Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer, and Morgan Rogers for a spot in the attacking midfield of Tuchel’s squad.

“It’s not guaranteed that he will be included,” Tuchel added when asked about the possibility of taking a player who is currently out of form to the finals in North America.

The defeat to Japan marked Tuchel’s second loss in 12 matches as England manager; however, he has yet to secure a win against teams ranked in FIFA’s top 20 since taking charge over a year ago.

Following a 1-1 draw with Uruguay last week, the German coach emphasised that a challenging March “will not define us” and expressed confidence that England can end their long wait for a major tournament victory since 1966 this summer.

“We won’t abandon our dream, we will keep asking ourselves, ‘why not?'” said the former Chelsea manager.

“At this point, it’s crucial that the players reintegrate with their clubs, finish the season strongly, and then we will have them in pre-camp to prepare appropriately and take it from there.”