England manager Thomas Tuchel has openly questioned Phil Foden's prospects of securing a place in the national team's World Cup squad this summer, following a disappointing performance in a friendly match against Japan.
Foden's Struggles in Unfamiliar Role
In England's final pre-World Cup friendly at Wembley on Tuesday night, Tuchel deployed Foden as a striker due to Harry Kane's injury absence. However, the Manchester City player failed to make an impact in this unfamiliar position and was substituted after just 58 minutes during England's 1-0 defeat.
"He tried everything," Tuchel told reporters post-match. "I would say he was excellent in camp but, yeah, he struggles to show it on the pitch."
Limited Club Minutes Compound Concerns
The manager highlighted Foden's recent lack of playing time at Manchester City as a significant factor. "Obviously he didn't have a lot of minutes for City recently," Tuchel explained. "Then he came to camp with the brightest smile and was so good in training and I thought he will just surprise us and will play with the same verve and excitement but, yeah, he struggles to have the full impact."
With Pep Guardiola using Foden sparingly since the turn of the year, opportunities to impress in City's remaining Premier League fixtures appear limited, further complicating his international selection chances.
Competition for World Cup Places Intensifies
Tuchel faces difficult decisions regarding his 26-man squad for the North American tournament, particularly in the attacking midfield positions where multiple players are vying for selection:
- Jude Bellingham
- Morgan Rogers
- Cole Palmer
- Eberechi Eze
- Phil Foden
When pressed about whether Foden's struggles against Japan increased doubts about his World Cup inclusion, Tuchel responded candidly: "Well, it's not a guarantee that he will come."
England's World Cup Preparation Plans
The Three Lions will next convene in early June for what Tuchel describes as a "relaxed" training camp in Florida to acclimatize to North American conditions before establishing their tournament base in Kansas.
"They will get a week off, the guys who are not involved in the Champions League final, and then we will go very early to the US to prepare us for the heat and the humidity," Tuchel outlined. "We will have an early camp that allows us a good mix between free time and also family-friends time, and football, to arrive with excitement when the tournament starts."
The manager acknowledged the demanding schedule facing players: "The season is a long, long season this year for the players, because some of them come from the Club World Cup, and it will not end in May. It will end, hopefully, in the middle of July."
Upcoming Fixtures and Tournament Schedule
England's World Cup preparation includes two warm-up matches in June:
- New Zealand on June 6
- Costa Rica on June 10
The tournament proper begins with England facing Croatia in Dallas on June 17, with Foden's participation now appearing uncertain following his recent international struggles and Tuchel's revealing comments about the player's form and impact.
